TxSSC
School Safety Law Toolkit
Senate Bill 1831
Effective Date: September 1, 2021
Requires public or private primary or secondary schools to post warning signs of increased penalties for human trafficking. Locations for signs include:
- (1) parallel to and along the exterior boundaries of the school's premises.
- (2) at each roadway or other way of access to the premises.
- (3) for premises not fenced, at least every five hundred feet along the exterior boundaries of the premises.
- (4) at each entrance to the premises.
- (5) at conspicuous places reasonably likely to be viewed by all persons entering the premises.
TEA, along with the human trafficking prevention task force, must adopt rules “regarding the placement, installation, design, size, wording, and maintenance procedures for the warning signs required under this section.” Additional requirements for TEA rulemaking include that the signs must: (1) describe the provisions of Texas Penal Code 20A.02(b-1) and penalties for violation, (2) are written in Spanish and English, and (3) are at least 8 ½ x 11 inches in size.
TEA must provide, free of charge, the number of signs necessary for a school to comply with this mandate. If TEA is unable to do so, they may provide fewer signs or prioritize sign distribution based on criminal activity reports around the school.