Parental Consent: SB 12

Senate Bill 12 Overview

During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 12, which requires schools to obtain written parental consent each year before providing certain routine services or allowing students to participate in school-based clubs and organizations.

At IDEA, this means parents/guardians must permit their child to:

  • Receive health services from qualified school personnel such as nurses, counselors, social workers, athletic staff, and other certified health and mental health professionals.
  • Access mental health and short-term counseling support.
  • Participate in district (or campus) sponsored clubs, including academic teams, interest-based groups, service organizations, and extracurricular activity clubs.
  • Receive routine care such as first aid, vision and hearing screenings, and daily wellness check-ins.

This law ensures that families are fully informed and actively involved in decisions about their child’s care and participation in school activities.
In a serious emergency, staff will always act to protect your child’s safety and will contact you immediately.

Providing consent enables your child to receive timely and reliable access to services that support their health, safety, wellness, and readiness to learn. Without consent, staff may be limited in the support they can provide during the school day.

Are you ready to submit your annual consent forms? Please log in to your STREAM account (per child) to fill out the forms and submit for this fiscal year. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a comprehensive FAQ section to help address questions about SB12.

If specific questions arise that are not covered, our school staff is readily available to assist. Contact details for campuses and administrators can be found on our school directory page here

During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, Senate Bill 12 was passed, requiring all Texas school districts to get yearly parental consent before providing routine school-based health services.

Yes. By law, some services cannot be opted out of, as they are essential to protecting student safety and ensuring compliance with state requirements. These include:
 
Emergency responses by the school district:
  • Activities involving law enforcement or the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
  • Legally required behavioral threat assessments
  • Other services or actions required by state law

In a serious emergency, staff will still act to protect your child’s safety and will contact you immediately.

Yes. Consent forms must be signed annually to remain valid for the current school year. You can fill out your consent forms by logging into your STREAM account here

The following school-related health services require additional parent consent beyond the SB 12 form:
 
  • Medical or psychological diagnosis
  • Long-term therapy or treatment that legally requires separate parental notification or consent
  • *except in emergencies or where legally exempt

Mental Health related services are provided by our licensed mental health professionals within our schools.

As a parent, you are the most important voice in your child’s education. Texas law recognizes that students do best when families are informed, involved, and respected.

Parents are partners with educators,
administrators, and school boards of trustees in their children’s education. Parents have specific rights
outlined in the Texas Education Code, including Chapter 26: Parental Rights and Responsibilities.

Parents/ guardians can find more information shared by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by clicking here.

Yes. You can revoke or provide consent at any time in writing to your campus lead team.