TX HB4416

School districts, charter schools, and institutions of higher education must develop and implement annual prevention and outreach programs educating students on consequences of disorderly or threatening behavior, including doxing, with information on responsible online behavior and reporting procedures for suspicious activity

Schools must immediately notify parents or guardians when a student is alleged to have engaged in conduct constituting terroristic threat, false alarm, harassment by electronic communication, unlawful disclosure of residence address, or hoax bomb offenses

Terroristic threat charges are elevated to a state jail felony when committed against employees or students of public or private schools or postsecondary institutions (in addition to existing enhancement for threats against peace officers or judges)

Unlawful disclosure of residence address or telephone number ("doxing") becomes a state jail felony when the victim is a school employee or student; hoax bomb offenses are elevated to state jail felonies when intended for use on school premises

Creates a new criminal offense (Class B misdemeanor, Class A if bodily injury results) for parents or guardians who observe or have knowledge of their child committing doxing offenses and fail to take reasonable steps to stop the conduct

Educational provisions take effect for the 2025-2026 school year; criminal penalty enhancements take effect September 1, 2025