TX HB4821

Students in public schools have the right to exercise freedom of speech and press in student media publications, including determining content that constitutes protected speech, regardless of whether school district resources are used

Protected speech excludes content that is obscene, defamatory, invades privacy, violates law, advertises products illegal for minors, incites imminent crimes, or substantially disrupts school operations

Student media publication advisors cannot be disciplined or retaliated against for protecting student speech rights, and school districts are not liable for student publication content unless they acted with willful misconduct

School district boards must adopt written policies establishing rules for student speech rights in media publications, which may include reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions using content-neutral and viewpoint-neutral criteria

Students or advisors whose speech rights are violated may bring legal action for injunctive relief or declaratory judgment against the school district; provisions apply to open-enrollment charter schools beginning with the 2025-2026 school year