Teacher Liability Insurance

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is seeking qualified respondents through Request for Proposals 701-26-008 to design, implement, and manage a comprehensive liability insurance program for classroom teachers. This procurement encompasses four primary tasks: program design including development of coverage options and enrollment processes; enrollment and claims administration through a TEA-approved technology platform; demand generation and customer support including recruitment materials and a help desk; and project management and reporting. The program will provide liability coverage, criminal defense support, civil rights claims coverage, bail bond coverage, identity theft protection, and legal support, along with professional development materials and newsletters to ensure teachers understand their rights, duties, and benefits while being protected against liability claims arising from their professional duties. Respondents must submit proposals electronically through the Bonfire portal no later than February 25, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. Central Time, with written questions accepted through February 5, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. CST and final answers published by February 10, 2026. The contract term is five state fiscal years commencing from contract execution or an agreed-upon start date, with an anticipated start date of July 2026. Responses must include signed contract terms and conditions, a HUB Subcontracting Plan, a Proposal Cover Page Questionnaire, a TADBP questionnaire, a Conflict of Interest statement, an Understanding of Project and Methodology document, and a Management Plan addressing experience and qualifications. All proposed work must be completed and accepted by TEA before payment is authorized, with monthly invoicing procedures aligned to deliverable completion, and payment shall be made within 30 days of invoice receipt in accordance with the Texas Prompt Payment Act.

Contractors must meet specific set-aside designations and compliance requirements, including a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) subcontracting goal of 5 percent service-disabled veteran-owned business participation. All respondents with subcontracting opportunities must submit a completed HUB Subcontracting Plan demonstrating good faith efforts to include Texas-certified HUB vendors; failure to submit a compliant HSP will result in the response not proceeding to the evaluation team. Required qualifications include evidence of insurance with Technology/Professional Liability Insurance minimum coverage of $5,000,000 per occurrence, an A- or better rating from AM Best, and compliance with comprehensive information security requirements including encryption standards, multi-factor authentication, NIST cybersecurity framework compliance, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. Contractors must demonstrate criminal background check clearance for personnel with access to school campuses or TEA data systems, E-Verify program compliance for all employees performing work in Texas, and adherence to anti-boycott certifications and anti-discrimination requirements. TEA intends to align all payments with the number of teachers enrolled in the program and set different unit prices for different enrollment tiers; however, specific budget amounts and anticipated contract value are not disclosed in the solicitation, requiring contractors to submit a detailed Task, Activity, Deliverable, and Budget Plan demonstrating cost-effective allocation. TEA reserves the right to award one or more contracts from this solicitation and retains the discretion not to award any contract.