---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of improper relationship between educator and student."
description: "Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of improper relationship between educator and student."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "87"
identifier: "HB 246"
citation: "Texas HB 246 (87)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Crimes--Against Persons--Sexual (I0171)", "Education--Primary & Secondary--Teachers (I0242)", "Minors--Crimes Against (I0532)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bettencourt", "Cook", "Ellzey", "Murr"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 58
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2020-11-09"
last_action: "2021-06-15"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/1a0d4a98-ff47-4d1d-ad5a-297751684696"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/87R/billhistory/house_bills/HB00200_HB00299/HB 246.xml"
source_hash: "31a37661e1c23565d3d9eaa13d078c4779a1a92677909eee7eee69be4f9011ce"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas HB 246 (87) — Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of improper relationship between educator and student.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00246I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00246E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00246H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00246S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00246F.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **145–0** (pass) · lower
- other — **146–0** (fail) · upper
- passage — **146–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bettencourt — primary (person)
- Cook — primary (person)
- Ellzey — primary (person)
- Murr — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-11-09** Filed `filing`
- **2021-02-25** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-25** Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-22** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-03-22** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- **2021-03-22** Left pending in committee
- **2021-04-16** Considered in formal meeting
- **2021-04-16** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage`
- **2021-04-28** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- **2021-04-28** Committee report distributed
- **2021-04-29** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2021-04-30** Considered in Calendars
- **2021-05-04** Placed on General State Calendar
- **2021-05-04** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-05-04** Postponed
- **2021-05-04** Laid out as postponed business
- **2021-05-04** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-04** Amendment(s) offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-04** Point of order withdrawn (amendment)
- **2021-05-04** Amendment withdrawn `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2021-05-04** Passed to engrossment as amended
- **2021-05-05** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-05-05** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-05** Passed as amended `passage`
- **2021-05-05** Record vote
- **2021-05-05** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-05-05** Reported engrossed
- **2021-05-06** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2021-05-13** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-05-13** Referred to Jurisprudence `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-20** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2021-05-20** Considered in public hearing
- **2021-05-20** Testimony taken in committee
- **2021-05-22** Reported favorably as substituted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-22** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2021-05-22** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2021-05-25** Placed on intent calendar
- **2021-05-25** Rules suspended-Regular order of business
- **2021-05-25** Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading
- **2021-05-25** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2021-05-25** Three day rule suspended
- **2021-05-25** Record vote
- **2021-05-25** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-05-25** Passed `passage`
- **2021-05-25** Record vote
- **2021-05-27** Senate passage as amended reported
- **2021-05-27** Senate Amendments distributed
- **2021-05-27** Senate Amendments Analysis distributed
- **2021-05-28** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)
- **2021-05-28** Record vote
- **2021-05-28** Text of Senate Amendment(s)
- **2021-05-28** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)-reported
- **2021-05-29** Reported enrolled
- **2021-05-30** Signed in the House
- **2021-05-31** Signed in the Senate
- **2021-05-31** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-06-15** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-15** Effective on 9/1/21 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/1a0d4a98-ff47-4d1d-ad5a-297751684696`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).