School counselors are eligible for the mental health loan repayment program per the legislation passed in SB646. This legislation has an effective date of September 1, 2025. The eligibility criteria specific to school counselors includes:

• The school counselor must be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, and have earned at least a master’s degree related to counseling from any public or accredited private institution of higher education.

• The school counselor must be serving students in public school.

• The school district must be in a mental health professional shortage area. Click here to find out if the workplace/school district is located in a shortage area.

SB 12 requires TEA to “adopt a procedure for school districts to notify the parent of a student enrolled in the district regarding any change in services provided to or monitoring of the student related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.” 

Note: This requirement also applies to open-enrollment charter schools.

To fulfill this requirement, TEA plans to begin the rulemaking process to establish this procedure. Due to the requirement in SB 12 for parents to be notified of health-related services at the beginning of the school year, along with their right to withhold consent for or decline a service, TEA is sharing this draft of potential rule text to assist school systems in complying with the statute. This rule text is only considered to be draft text and may be edited between now and the time it is published as a proposed rule. At that time, TEA will follow the standard rulemaking process, which includes the opportunity for public comment.

Before the first instructional day of each school year, each school system shall provide to parents written notice of each health-related service offered at the campus the student attends. The notice must include a statement of the parent’s right to withhold consent for or decline a health-related service.

Districts are reminded that Texas Education Code §26.009(d) provides for disciplinary action against employees who provide services without required parental consent. 

To assist school systems in complying with Section 17 of SB 12, TEA has developed a model notice for school systems to share with parents and families. While school systems are permitted to modify the language of this model notice, certain requirements must be met to satisfy statutory requirements.