HB 656

ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 656, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to extend present law concerning compensated unused leave for teachers to all employees of LEAs and public charter schools. Present law authorizes an LEA or public charter school to compensate the estate of a teacher who died on or after September 1, 2024, while employed by the LEA or public charter school, for the teacher's unused and accrued annual and sick leave in the sam e manner that the estates of deceased state employees are compensated. A teacher may designate a beneficiary to receive payment for accrued annual and sick leave upon the teacher's death. Unless a teacher designates differently, the beneficiary is the s am e as the beneficiary designated for receipt of retirement benefits with the TCRS. This amendment makes the above provisions applicable to all employees of an LEA or public charter school