The members of a school district's local school health advisory council

Texas Senate Bill 939, introduced in 2025, aimed to modify the composition of local school health advisory councils (SHACs) in school districts. The bill proposed that the board of trustees appoint at least five members to the SHAC, with a focus on including parents of students enrolled in the district. Additionally, the bill sought to allow the inclusion of various community representatives, such as health care professionals, business community members, law enforcement, senior citizens, clergy, nonprofit health organizations, and local domestic violence programs. The bill was referred to the Education K-16 Committee on February 13, 2025, but did not progress further and died in committee.

Supporters of SB939 likely appreciated the bill's emphasis on parental involvement in school health advisory councils, viewing it as a means to ensure that parents have a significant voice in decisions affecting student health and wellness. The inclusion of diverse community representatives was also seen as a positive step toward creating a more comprehensive and representative advisory body that could address a wide range of health-related issues within schools.

Critics of SB939 may have expressed concerns that the bill's provisions could lead to an overrepresentation of certain groups, potentially marginalizing other important stakeholders. There might have been apprehension that the inclusion of specific community representatives could introduce biases or conflicts of interest, thereby affecting the objectivity and effectiveness of the advisory councils. Additionally, some may have questioned whether the proposed changes would lead to tangible improvements in student health outcomes or merely add bureaucratic complexity.