HB 121

"🔴 HB 121 Gave the Texas Education Agency Its Own Police Force—And That’s Just the Beginning

If you’ve heard that HB 121 is about school safety, you’re not wrong—but that’s only the headline. The deeper truth? This bill quietly restructures how school safety is enforced across Texas, shifting authority away from local schools and into the hands of the state.

What it says it does:
HB 121 allows the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to commission its own peace officers to enforce school safety laws. It also tightens requirements for school districts to have armed personnel on campus, updates emergency plans, and adjusts how threat assessments are conducted—especially for students in special education.

What it actually does:
It gives the state education agency police powers. Literally. TEA officers will now have the authority to enforce school safety laws across Texas campuses—operating separately from local police or school district officers.

That’s a structural shift.

And it’s not the only one.

Districts that can’t meet the new armed officer requirements?
They must claim a “good cause exception”—but that exception expires every year and must be refiled. Which means TEA gets a new chance each year to pressure districts into compliance—or push them toward private security alternatives.

Who’s supporting this?
✅ The Texas Association of School Boards
✅ Campus Guardian Angel (a private security vendor)
✅ The Texas School Safety Center
✅ TEA itself

Who benefits?
Private security contractors, state agencies, and vendors aligned with TEA-approved training and safety programs.

Who’s left out?
❌ Local school boards that no longer control their own security plans
❌ Parents who aren’t consulted when TEA changes safety policy
❌ Small districts that can’t afford to hire licensed staff or meet vague training mandates
❌ Special ed students now facing new risk in threat assessments—with fewer procedural protections

And what’s missing?
No guaranteed funding. No required audits. No public transparency about how TEA officers will operate—or who will oversee them. The fiscal note claims there’s “no cost to the state,” even though schools will likely be forced to spend more just to keep up.

Why this matters long-term:
This bill doesn't just enforce safety—it restructures it.

TEA was never designed to be a police force. But HB 121 gives them a foot in the door—one that could grow into a statewide, state-run school law enforcement model. Once normalized, this model could absorb other functions: discipline, threat monitoring, even student services.

And with vague standards for who counts as a “trained” officer under district contracts, private firms could quietly take over campus safety—without the transparency or accountability of local law enforcement.

This isn’t about safety. It’s about centralized control.
And it’s happening without a public vote, without meaningful oversight, and without clear protections for students, teachers, or parents.

If we want real safety—transparent, effective, and community-rooted—we need to demand more than a headline promise. We need oversight, funding, and public accountability. Not a blank check for state enforcement and private contracts.

This is the kind of quiet power shift that doesn’t make front pages—but it changes how schools work, who controls them, and what’s coming next.

🔴 #HB121 #SchoolSafety #LocalControlMatters #TexasPolicy

Quick ask, y’all—likes help the algorithm, but shares are what get the truth out.

If this bill affects you, your kids, your patients, your neighbors—please share it.

Too many Texans don’t know what’s being signed into law. And if we don’t share it, they won’t hear it. These bills move quietly. The consequences don’t.

It’s not about going viral. It’s about making sure the people who need to know—do know.

So if this post made you pause, think, or get fired up… don’t just like it. Send it. Share it. Say something.

We don’t get transparency unless we demand it together."