By: Taylor S.B. No. 1453
(In the Senate - Filed March 4, 2019; March 14, 2019, read
first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 16, 2019,
reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 16, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1453 By: Taylor
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of calculator applications in place of graphing
calculators in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 25.904 to read as follows:
Sec. 25.904. USE OF CALCULATOR APPLICATION IN PLACE OF
GRAPHING CALCULATOR. (a) A school district shall permit a student
enrolled in a course that requires the student to use a graphing
calculator to use a calculator application on a computing device,
including a personal, laptop, or tablet computer, that provides the
same functionality, unless the district makes available to the
student a graphing calculator at no cost to the student.
(b) A school district may adopt policies related to student
use of a computing device under this section.
(c) To the extent this section conflicts with Section
37.082, this section prevails.
(d) The agency shall conduct an evaluation of best practices
for the use of a calculator application on a computing device by a
student during an assessment instrument administered under Section
39.023. On completion of the evaluation the agency shall adopt
rules establishing a policy for the permitted use of a calculator
application on a computing device. The rules must specify the types
of calculator applications and computing devices students are
authorized to use and the circumstances under which each calculator
application and computing device may be used. The agency shall post
to the agency's Internet website and communicate to each school
district the policy adopted under this subsection and a list of
approved calculator applications and computing devices, including
information relating to the cost and functionality of each listed
calculator application and computing device.
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Texas
Education Agency shall adopt rules establishing a policy for the
use of a calculator application on a computing device as required by
Section 25.904(d), Education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
school year.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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