Senate Committee on Education heard Senate Bill 1395 from Senator Hall, which would change how School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) membership is set and restrict district employee participation in voting roles.

Sponsor explanation: Senator Hall said the bill would require each school trustee to appoint an equal number of SHAC members (or the board may appoint by majority vote), require one-year terms with reconfirmation, and mandate that a majority of voting members be parents of enrolled students who do not have a first-degree relative employed by the district. The bill would prevent district employees or those with first-degree relatives employed by the district from holding voting seats for designated community sectors, and require SHAC officers (chair, co-chair, vice chair) to be parents.

Witness testimony: Multiple witnesses testified in favor. Dr. Bryce Spear, an elected SHAC parent chair, described instances where districts altered SHAC materials, added employees to the council, and approved curricula with few parents present. Tiffany Nelson (Conroe ISD trustee) and Jamie Haynes (Texans Wake Up) supported the bill citing concerns that non-parent voting members and district-controlled appointment processes diluted parent voice. Paula Hilliard (Texas Education 911) urged enforcement and oversight to ensure compliance.

Outcome: The committee took invited and public testimony, including several parents, trustees and advocacy groups; public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending subject to the call of the chair.

Why it matters: Supporters said SHACs are intended to reflect community values in health instruction and recommended this bill to restore parental input where they say district administrators or contractors have assumed voting roles.