Texas Education Code § 29.022 and 19 TAC Chapter 103 establish a detailed process governing who may request surveillance, which settings qualify, response and installation deadlines, notice, operation, retention, confidentiality, access to recordings, reporting, and appeals.

During the 89th Texas Legislature, HB 2 and SB 568 amended Texas Education Code § 29.022, resulting in important changes to the terminology and scope of Texas’s special education video surveillance requirements. Texas school districts that have not reviewed their special education video surveillance procedures since 2025 may be operating under outdated law.

While some of these changes may seem technical, they have practical implications for district administrators responsible for implementing camera requests, maintaining operating procedures, responding to incidents, and training campus personnel.

For example, TEC § 29.022 historically focused on “self-contained classrooms” and certain other special education settings. The 2025 amendments have replaced that terminology with the broader phrase “special education classroom or other special education setting.” In response to the 2025 amendments, the Texas Education Agency revised its implementing rules in 2026 to align with the statutory language and adopted updated definitions for covered settings.

Why This Matters for Special Education Directors

Many districts adopted forms, procedures, and operating guidelines in 2015 when the law was first enacted, and/or after the amendments enacted through SB 1398 in 2023. Those materials now contain outdated statutory references and terminology.

Given the significant legal and operational implications associated with special education video monitoring, administrators should review whether their forms and procedures align with TEC § 29.022 and TEA rules.

To assist districts with implementation of the most recent amendments, Thompson & Horton now offers a Special Education Video Surveillance Forms and Procedures Package. The package provides a starting point for local customization and includes:

• Updated operating procedures that assign responsibilities and map the process from request through retention;
• Video surveillance request and response forms;
• Notice to parents regarding initiating and discontinuing use of cameras; and
• Incident report and response forms.

Our goal is simple: provide districts with a comprehensive, updated set of documents that can be implemented immediately and customized to local practice. If your district would like to purchase Thompson & Horton’s updated TEC § 29.022 Video Surveillance Forms and Procedures Package, please contact us by clicking here.