Texas Armed School Security (HB 3)

Summary

Following the Uvalde tragedy, Texas law now requires every single public school campus in the state to have at least one armed security officer present during regular school hours.

Rights & Rules

01.
Every school district MUST place an armed security officer on every campus.
02.
The officer can be a commissioned peace officer (police), a school resource officer, or a highly trained school 'marshal.'
03.
If a district cannot afford to hire a police officer or cannot find one due to staffing shortages, they are legally allowed to arm an approved, trained school employee (like a teacher or principal) under the 'Guardian Program.'
04.
School staff members cannot be forced to carry a weapon; the Guardian Program is strictly voluntary for the staff member.

Penalties

01.
Districts that fail to comply with safety standards must submit to state audits and can face intervention or takeover by the Texas Education Agency.

Verified Citations

Texas House Bill 3 (2023)

Source

"The board of trustees of each school district shall determine the appropriate number of armed security officers for each district campus. The board must ensure that at least one armed security officer is present during regular school hours at each district campus."