Texas school drill law

Which drills does Texas require, and how often?

The TEA rule requires each school system to hold emergency safety drills in line with Education Code § 37.114. The statute has the education commissioner set, by rule, the number and type of mandatory drills each semester, not to exceed a total of eight drills.

For fire drills, school systems should consult the local authority having jurisdiction, such as the fire marshal, and follow its requirements. A school system with no local authority or no adopted fire code must hold four fire drills a year, two each semester. The rule describes the cap as no more than eight drills each semester and sixteen for the school year, and says schools may hold more drills as needed. A district's multihazard emergency operations plan must provide for mandatory drills and exercises, including the drills under § 37.114. The commissioner must write the drill rules in consultation with the Texas School Safety Center and the state fire marshal.

Are there timing rules?

The rule sets how many drills of each type a school year needs, but no date or window (such as "within the first X days") for any of them, other than one lockdown drill each semester and, where no local fire code applies, two fire drills each semester. For fire drills, the State Fire Marshal's Office tells schools to follow the local authority's adopted fire drill code where one exists, and to ask the local fire marshal or fire department whether one has been adopted. Where the local authority has not adopted a fire code, the State Fire Marshal's Office says a school must hold a full fire evacuation drill in each of a set of time periods, the first within 10 school days after the school year starts. This timing comes from the fire marshal's web guidance, not the TEA rule.

What about students with disabilities?

Students with access and functional needs must take part in required drills. School systems must name a person to make sure each campus has reviewed IEPs and Section 504 plans (individual special education and disability plans) for drill accommodations. Districts must follow guidelines set by the commissioner under § 37.1086 when adopting and carrying out their plans. A district's plan must include a policy giving substitute teachers access to buildings and materials during a mandatory emergency drill.

What does the rule recommend for drill design?

The rule lists trauma-informed planning as a recommended design element for drills, not a requirement. It also lists advance notice of drills and exercises as a recommended design element, not a requirement. Mandatory drills do not include anyone role-playing as active aggressors or other simulated threats.

What limits apply to active threat exercises?

School districts and open-enrollment charter schools are not required to run active threat exercises. Before running an active threat exercise, including an active shooter simulation, a district must meet the conditions listed in § 37.1141. The content of an active threat exercise must be age appropriate and developmentally appropriate. First responder agencies likely to respond to a false report must be told about the exercise. An active threat exercise must be organized, run and overseen by law enforcement, first responders or emergency management staff. It must be held during non-instructional time, when those not taking part are not in the building. Student participation is discouraged; a student must be in grade 9 or higher and may take part only if it gives the student an educational benefit. All participants, students and staff, must opt in rather than opt out, and a student needs written permission from a parent or guardian to opt in. Districts must send the data collected under § 37.1141(a)(6) to the Texas School Safety Center.

Do parents get notice?

Before an active threat exercise, a district must give adequate notice to the students expected to take part, their parents, and staff likely to be part of it, including the date and the content, form and tone of the exercise. For an operations-based, functional or full-scale active threat exercise, the school system must give notice directly to participants, parents of participating students, and everyone else affected. The notice must also be posted through several channels, including the school system's website and social media. To count as adequate, the notice must be given and posted at least two weeks before the exercise. Notice to parents must be in the parents' native language to the greatest extent practicable.

How are drills verified?

Section 37.108(c-2) refers to verifying that each campus in a district has held its mandatory emergency drills and exercises under the plan, and how often. Where no local fire code applies, the State Fire Marshal's Office says every full fire evacuation drill must be logged on a district form, kept at the school for three years and shown to the fire marshal on request; copies are not sent to the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Who is covered?

The drill rule covers public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The rule's definition of "school system" names public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools only; it names no private schools. The emergency operations plan duty that carries the drill requirement, § 37.108(a), falls on school districts and public junior college districts; it does not name private schools. Open-enrollment charter schools are also subject to the statute's school safety requirements in §§ 37.108, 37.1086, 37.114 and 37.1141.

What changed recently?

SB 57 (2025) deals with the safety of individuals with disabilities during mandatory school drills. SB 57 amended § 37.1086 effective June 20, 2025. The drill rule, 19 TAC § 103.1209, was amended effective July 26, 2026. The drill statute, § 37.114, was amended in 2021 by HB 3597, effective June 18, 2021. The active threat exercise statute, § 37.1141, has not been amended since it was added in 2021; its history note lists no act of the 2025 regular session or of either 2025 special session.