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SB207

Regular Session

Relating to excused absences from public school for certain students to attend mental health care appointments.

Low
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies

Local Independent School Districts • Texas Education Agency (TEA)

SB207
Low
Relating to excused absences from public school for certain students to attend mental health care appointments.
Low Compliance Urgency
Requires routine attention
Cost Impact
Low
Effective
2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
Local Independent School DistrictsTEA
Primary Author: Sen. Angela Paxton
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (Applies to the 2025-2026 school year).
  • Compliance Deadline: August 1, 2025. Healthcare providers and HR departments must update policies before the school year commences.
  • Agency Rulemaking: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is not explicitly required to create new rules, but local Independent School Districts (ISDs) will update Student Codes of Conduct during Summer 2025. Monitor local board meetings for specific attendance coding instructions.

Immediate Action Plan

  • Immediately: Audit current excuse note templates; discard generic "medical" notes in favor of specific "mental health professional" citations.
  • By July 15, 2025: Update practice scheduling software to open mid-day slots for school-aged patients.
  • By August 1, 2025: Send a blast communication to patient families informing them of the new law and encouraging school-day booking to reduce waitlists.
  • By August 1, 2025: HR Directors must update "Family/Medical Leave" guidance documents to explicitly include mental health maintenance for dependents.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • Patient Service Agreements: Mental health practices must review cancellation policies. Since these absences are now legally excused, practices should enforce cancellation fees for school-day appointments, as "inability to miss school" is no longer a valid defense for late cancellations.
  • Employment Agreements: No changes required, but HR policy interpretation must align dependent care leave for mental health appointments with existing medical leave protocols.

Hiring/Training

  • Front Desk/Admin: Scheduling staff must be trained to aggressively book adolescent patients during mid-day hours (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) to relieve after-school bottlenecks.
  • HR Managers: Train supervisors to approve partial-day leave requests for employees transporting children to therapy, recognizing this as a state-sanctioned medical necessity.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • Excuse Templates: Providers must update standard excuse notes. The note must verify the appointment time and explicitly state the provider is a "mental health professional."
  • Time-Stamping: Because the law requires the student to attend school for part of the day to qualify for the excuse, documentation must include "Time In" and "Time Out" to prove the student had time to return to campus.

Fees & Costs

  • Budget Impact: Negligible direct costs.
  • Revenue Opportunity: Mental health practices should anticipate increased revenue through better utilization of non-peak (school day) hours.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

  • Definition of "Professional": The statute uses the broad term "mental health professional" without specifying licensure (e.g., LPC vs. Life Coach). Until TEA clarifies, businesses must assume this privilege applies strictly to licensed clinicians (LPC, LCSW, LMFT, PhD, PsyD, MD/DO). Notes from non-licensed counselors may be rejected by school districts.
  • Telehealth Validity: The law refers to a "temporary absence" to attend an appointment. It is unclear if a student conducting a telehealth session *on campus* (e.g., in a nurse's office) qualifies, or if they must physically leave the premises.

Need Help Understanding Implementation?

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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

02

Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Nov 12, 2024
Passed Senate
Apr 1, 2025
Passed House
May 20, 2025
Signed
May 30, 2025
TopicsEducationEducation--primary & SecondaryEducation--primary & Secondary--admission & AttendanceMental Health & Substance Abuse
03

Senate Authors

Sen. Angela PaxtonRepublican · Primary Author
Joint Authors
Coauthors (5)

House Sponsor

Rep. Terri Leo-WilsonRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

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More from Sen. Angela Paxton

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Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB207

Q

What does Texas SB207 do?

SB207 mandates that Texas public schools accept appointments with mental health professionals as valid, excused absences, placing them on equal legal footing with physical medical appointments. This legislation effectively expands billable capacity for mental health practices by opening school-day slots for adolescent patients, provided strict documentation regarding the student's return to school is maintained. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (Applies to the 2025-2026 school year).

Q

Who authored SB207?

SB207 was authored by Texas Senator Angela Paxton during the Regular Session.

Q

When was SB207 signed into law?

SB207 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 30, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce SB207?

SB207 is enforced by Local Independent School Districts and Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Q

How urgent is compliance with SB207?

The compliance urgency for SB207 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

Q

What is the cost impact of SB207?

The cost impact of SB207 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does SB207 address?

SB207 addresses topics including education, education--primary & secondary, education--primary & secondary--admission & attendance and mental health & substance abuse.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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