A new bill authored by State Rep. Richard Raymond in the Texas House seeks to provide excused absences for students suffering from menstrual disorders to support their health and education, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on Courts category, introduced as HB 161 during the 89(1) legislative session on Monday, July 21, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to the issuance of a license to carry a handgun to certain federal judges’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill mandates that Texas public school districts grant excused absences for up to 10 days per school year to students suffering from menstrual disorders, such as dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, menorrhagia, or polycystic ovary syndrome. To qualify, documentation from a licensed physician confirming the menstrual disorder must be provided. Students excused under this provision will not face penalties, and their absences will count towards average daily attendance calculations. Additionally, they will be given a reasonable amount of time to complete any missed coursework. If passed, the bill will apply starting with the 2025-26 school year. If not enacted immediately through a two-thirds vote, it will take effect Sept. 1, 2025.
Richard Raymond, a member of the House Committee on Elections, proposed no other bills during the 89(1) legislative session. He is also a member of the House Committee on State Affairs.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 5504 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the supervision by allopathic or osteopathic physicians of certain persons performing certain procedures |
| HB 5455 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to creation of the Texas Health Insurance Exchange; authorizing a fee |
| HB 5254 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to a claim of actual innocence by a person convicted of a criminal offense; creating the Texas Innocence Inquiry Commission |
| HB 5127 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to county purchasing agents in certain counties |
| HB 5126 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to grounds for recounting paperless electronic voting system ballots |
| HB 5124 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the conversion of all or a portion of a municipal sales and use tax originally adopted for the purpose of sports and community venues to a municipal sales and use tax for economic development purposes |
| HB 5075 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the authority of school districts in certain counties to establish alternative programs in lieu of sending students to a juvenile justice alternative education program |
| HB 4023 | 03/07/2025 | Relating to the exemption of certain reserve peace officers from regulation as private security personnel |
| HB 3931 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to the fee for public inspection of election records |
| HB 3898 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to the authority of the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance to certain political subdivisions for brackish water desalination |
| HB 3896 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to the generation of electric power by a water supply or sewer service corporation |
| HB 3694 | 03/04/2025 | Relating to the unlawful production or distribution of certain sexually explicit media and to the removal of certain intimate visual depictions published on online platforms without the consent of the person depicted; increasing criminal penalties |
| HB 3557 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to the exclusion from the market value of real property for ad valorem tax purposes of the value of any incomplete structure located on the property |
| HB 3387 | 02/26/2025 | Relating to the safety standards of certain rail employees; requiring an occupational permit |
| HB 3188 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to prohibiting the purchase of certain food items under the supplemental nutrition assistance program |
| HB 2703 | 02/12/2025 | Relating to designating July as American Patriotism Month |
| HB 2702 | 02/12/2025 | Relating to prohibiting certain limitations on the operation of certain organizations that benefit veterans during a declared state of disaster |
| HB 2611 | 02/10/2025 | Relating to an increase in the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district and the protection of school districts against certain losses in local revenue |
| HB 1867 | 01/15/2025 | Relating to tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for the siblings of certain military personnel |
| HB 1627 | 12/16/2024 | Relating to a bonus payment for classroom teachers employed by a public school; making an appropriation |
| HB 1626 | 12/16/2024 | Relating to the period for which an emergency educator certificate is valid |
| HB 1548 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation by certain taxing units of a portion of the appraised value of the residence homestead of the parent or guardian of a person who is disabled and who resides with the parent or guardian |
| HB 1547 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to the exclusion from the market value of real property for ad valorem tax purposes of the value of any improvement, or any feature incorporated in an improvement, made to the property if the primary purpose of the improvement or feature is compliance with the requirements of standards that address accessible design of buildings or other facilities |
| HB 1546 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to the reimbursement of fees associated with the issuance of a special education certificate for certain teachers |
| HB 1544 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to the recovery by this state from the federal government of certain border security expenditures |
| HB 1543 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to the recovery by the attorney general from the federal government of certain border security expenditures |
| HB 1542 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to funding under the transportation allotment for certain special education students |
| HB 1373 | 11/18/2024 | Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 70 in Nueces County as the Los Robles Trail |
| HB 1372 | 11/18/2024 | Relating to the regulation of a transportation protection agreement as a prepaid funeral benefit |
| HB 1371 | 11/18/2024 | Relating to the dissemination of criminal history record information by the Department of Public Safety concerning certain intoxication offenses |
| HB 1370 | 11/18/2024 | Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the appraised value of real property that arises from the use of xeriscape on the property |
| HB 1302 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the creation of the Alzheimer’s Prevention and Research Institute of Texas |
| HB 1282 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the enforcement of the prohibition on passing a school bus using images and video from a school bus infraction detection system |
| HB 159 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to certain payment recovery and recoupment efforts under Medicaid and the child health plan program |
| HB 158 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a study on the use of surplus government property to provide housing to veterans |
| HB 157 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the production by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of an annual report on public drinking water supply systems |
| HB 156 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a study by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regarding the protection of certain water facilities from catastrophes |
| HB 155 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the confidentiality of certain autopsy records |
| HB 154 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to Medicaid coverage and reimbursement for certain inpatient mental health services |
| HB 153 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the eligibility of service members and veterans to participate in a veterans treatment court program |
| HB 152 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the provision of funding under the public school finance system on the basis of property values that take into account optional homestead exemptions |
| HB 151 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to honesty in state taxation |
| HB 1210 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the adoption of uniform rules for hours of work for certain county employees |
| HB 1181 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the assignment of certain retired and former justices and judges |
| HB 1173 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the administration of the homeless housing and services program by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs |
| HB 1172 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to requiring the Department of Information Resources to conduct a study concerning the cybersecurity of small businesses |
| HB 1171 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a study on state land use to facilitate health and wellness for veterans |
| HB 1170 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to analysis and mitigation of transportation security threats in this state |
| HB 1169 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the adoption of a comprehensive plan to protect oil and gas infrastructure in this state |
| HB 1168 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a study by the Texas Division of Emergency Management of the potential effects of droughts and wildfires in this state |
