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Texas Proposition 15 (2025): S.J.R. 34
Texas constitutional amendment · voted on 2025-11-04 · Result: Passed
texasconstitutional-amendment
Official ballot language
The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.
Plain summary
S.J.R. 34 proposes to add Section 37 to Article I, Texas Constitution, to affirm that a parent has the responsibility to nurture and protect the parent's child and the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent's child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child's upbringing. The proposed amendment would provide an express constitutional guarantee of these generally recognized rights and responsibilities.
Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95, quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “For” vote
Adds this amendment to the Texas Constitution: the constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.
A “Against” vote
The Texas Constitution is not changed by this proposition; current provisions stay as they are.
Ballot language as certified (Texas Legislative Council analysis). A constitutional amendment takes effect only if a majority of voters approve it.
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
What This Measure Would Do
This measure would add a new section to the Texas Constitution. It says that parents have the main responsibility of taking care of and making decisions for their children. It also says that parents have the right to make choices about how to raise their kids.
Voting Options
If you vote "For" this measure, it means that the new section would be added to the Texas Constitution. This would officially say in the state's constitution that parents are the main decision-makers for their children.
If you vote "Against" this measure, nothing would change in the Texas Constitution. The current laws and rules about parents' rights and responsibilities would stay the same.
Unclear Words
The word "nurture" might be unclear to some people. It means to take care of someone or something by providing what they need to grow and develop. In this context, it refers to how parents should care for their children.
Written by a computer model (llama3.1:8b, run on our own server) on Tue Nov 3 from the official text and nonpartisan summary only. It is not a source and takes no side. If it differs from the official text, the official text is right.
The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
Enshrining in the Texas Constitution the right of a parent to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent's children would provide a clear and solid legal foundation to protect parental rights.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
Courts have long recognized that parents have a constitutionally protected right to make decisions for their children. Such a fundamental right deserves a securely codified place in the Texas Constitution to ensure that it is not removed or diminished by future judicial decisions.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
By expressly recognizing parental rights and responsibilities in the text of the constitution, the proposed amendment would make parental rights easier to identify for parents and their lawyers, allowing them to cite the Texas Constitution to help defend their rights in court, and would provide clarity that could help avoid costly litigation.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
Protecting the rights of parents helps parents to meet their obligations to care for, nurture, and educate their children.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
The proposed amendment is not intended to expand or diminish any existing parental rights.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
Arguments against (opponents)
The proposed amendment does not do enough to protect children's rights, which are not expressly addressed by the amendment.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
While not raised during legislative consideration of the proposal, a review of other sources indicates concerns that the amendment language stating that the established parental rights correspond with the responsibility of parents to nurture and protect their children could result in a parent's rights being conditioned on the government determining that the parent's responsibility has been fulfilled.
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
Summary of comments made in committee, floor debate, or the House Research Organization analysis, as published by the Texas Legislative Council. Shown in the order published, not ranked by us.
Alternatives
Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Result
| For | 2,065,714 |
|---|---|
| Against | 890,983 |
| Percent for | 69.87% |
Source: Texas Secretary of State results as reported by Texas Policy Research (confirm at the SOS results site) · official canvass: Texas SOS results
Officials and money
Authors: Hughes · Coauthors: Creighton, Hagenbuch, Hall, Kolkhorst, Paxton · Sponsors in the other chamber: Frank, Leach, Capriglione, Talarico, Hull
Texas legislators are not yet linked to official pages. Bill history and votes on Texas Legislature Online.
Money: Legislative Budget Board fiscal note No linked contracts or vendors yet.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Constitutional amendment
- A change to a constitution. In Texas the Legislature proposes an amendment with a joint resolution passed by two-thirds of the members of each chamber. It takes effect only if a majority of the people voting on it approve it. In Florida, an amendment needs at least 60% of the votes cast on it to pass.
- Joint resolution
- In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
- Proposition
- The name for a measure on a Texas ballot, numbered Proposition 1, 2, and so on. A "For" vote supports the measure; an "Against" vote opposes it.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95
- Texas Legislature Online: S.J.R. 34
- Data: Texas Legislative Council, Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments (Aug 2025), p. 95 <https://www.tlc.texas.gov/docs/amendments/analyses25.pdf>; Texas Legislature Online bill history <https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SJR34>; fetched 2026-11-03T04:00:01Z
- Ballotpedia (link only)
Record st-tx-2025-prop-15 · catalog st-tx-sos-ballot-measures-2025 · updated 2026-11-02 by builder v002