The Texas Legislature has passed Senate Bill 571 (SB 571), aimed at closing loopholes in the state’s educator misconduct system and preventing individuals with a history of wrongdoing from moving between schools.

The measure, authored by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.

SB 571 expands the state’s “Do Not Hire” registry, requiring all individuals who work on school campuses — including contractors, subcontractors, and volunteers — to undergo background checks and meet the same reporting standards as certified educators.

The bill seeks to eliminate the practice known as “passing the trash,” in which employees accused of misconduct quietly move to other educational institutions.

“SB 571 ensures that misconduct is caught early and acted on swiftly, no more ‘passing the trash’ or looking the other way that lets predators reappear in other educational roles or in other schools,” Bettencourt, R-Houston, said in a statement.

The legislation builds on earlier reforms, including Senate Bill 7 in 2017 and House Bill 3 in 2019, which established the initial Do Not Hire registry.

The new measure strengthens protections by expanding the types of misconduct that trigger disqualification, mandating early reporting to state authorities, and allowing contracted school entities access to registry data.

It also enhances oversight by the Texas Education Agency while maintaining due process protections for accused individuals.

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