Navigating HB 2 DOI Certification Requirements

House Bill (HB) 2 of the 89th legislative session added Texas Education Code (TEC) § 21.0032, limiting specific foundational subjects from certification exemption in a District of Innovation (DOI) plan.

Through a DOI plan, school districts have been able to exempt themselves from certification requirements as outlined in TEC § 21.003. Initially, the only unallowed exemptions were certifications for bilingual, English as a second language, prekindergarten, and special education.

For the 2025-2026 school year, districts may continue to hire based on their current DOI plan exemptions. Going forward, districts using their DOI plan for certification exemptions of foundational subject teachers will need to take appropriate action. Certification exemption limitations will phase in over the next several years.

TEC § 21.0032 authorizes the commissioner of education to approve district requests to delay implementation of certification requirements of existing uncertified teachers of record in foundation curriculum courses until the beginning of the 2029-2030 school year. If a district currently employs uncertified foundational subject teachers using their DOI exemption, they must do the following:

• Develop a plan for the delay of teacher certification requirements to come into compliance, including a reasonable timeline and strategies (e.g., targeted goals to decrease percentage of uncertified teachers by grade level and/or subject, supports for teachers to complete certification, recruitment plan for hiring certified teachers)
• Seek board approval of the plan
• Post a webpage link to the meeting agenda where the plan was approved
• Post a webpage link to the board-approved plan
• Submit an Application for Delay of Teacher Certification Requirements to the commissioner of education

The application is open from October 16, 2025, to March 2, 2026. Districts will be notified of approvals by March 31, 2026. The application must include an evaluation of how the district will transition current uncertified foundational subject teachers to certified during the delay of teacher certification requirements. In addition to requirements listed above, the district will need to identify the number of uncertified individuals assigned to teach foundation curriculum courses in the 2025-2026 school year and specify at least one educator preparation program (EPP) partner who will support certification efforts.

Starting with the 2026-2027 school year districts can no longer hire K-5 reading and mathematics teachers using a DOI exemption. In 2027-2028, DOI exemptions can no longer be used for the remaining foundational subject teachers. All uncertified teachers teaching in a foundational subject are required to be certified by the 2029-2030 school year.

The provisions of HB 2 and DOI certification related to TEC § 21.0032 do not impact a district’s ability to continue to hire non-foundational subject teachers, allowing the continued certification exemptions for career and technical education (CTE) and other enrichment subject teachers (i.e., fine arts, health, languages other than English (LOTE), physical education (PE), technology applications).