Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3489 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 3489
	1	+	By: Parker, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Taylor) H.B. No. 3489
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 2021;
	3	+	May 13, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
	4	+	Education; May 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
	5	+	Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 19, 2021, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
	9	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	10		AN ACT
5	11		relating to development of guidelines for the use of digital
6	12		devices in public schools and a school district or open-enrollment
7	13		charter school policy for the effective integration of those
8	14		devices.
9	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	16		SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is
11	17		amended by adding Section 38.0231 to read as follows:
12	18		Sec. 38.0231. GUIDELINES FOR USE OF DIGITAL DEVICES. (a)
13	19		The agency, in consultation with the Health and Human Services
14	20		Commission, shall develop and distribute model health and safety
15	21		guidelines that school districts and open-enrollment charter
16	22		schools may use to determine best practices for the effective
17	23		integration of digital devices in public schools. The guidelines
18	24		must:
19	25		(1) be based on evidence-based studies and practices;
20	26		(2) consider the needs of students with intellectual
21	27		or physical disabilities;
22	28		(3) consider the potential costs of implementation of
23	29		the guidelines and affordable ways to reduce the hazards associated
24	30		with the extended use of digital devices; and
25	31		(4) address:
26	32		(A) digital device use for varying age ranges and
27	33		developmental levels;
28	34		(B) the amount of time a student spends using
29	35		digital devices in the classroom;
30	36		(C) appropriate frequency for breaks from the use
31	37		of digital devices;
32	38		(D) physical positioning of digital devices in
33	39		the classroom;
34	40		(E) the use of digital devices to complete
35	41		homework assignments;
36	42		(F) recommended total daily screen time usage for
37	43		students;
38	44		(G) recommended practices or software to block
39	45		access to inappropriate content; and
40	46		(H) recommended teacher training regarding
41	47		digital device use in the classroom to ensure implementation of the
42	48		best practices.
43	49		(b) The school board of each school district or the
44	50		governing body of each open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a
45	51		policy for the effective integration of digital devices in the
46	52		district or school. In adopting the policy, the school board or the
47	53		governing body may decide whether to adopt the guidelines developed
48	54		under Subsection (a) for use in the district or school.
49	55		(c) Each school district or open-enrollment charter school
50	56		that adopts the guidelines developed under Subsection (a) may
51	57		implement the guidelines in a manner that best meets the district's
52	58		or charter school's individual needs and the individual needs of
53	59		students in the district or school, including students with
54	60		intellectual or physical disabilities.
55	61		(d) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school
56	62		adopts the guidelines developed under Subsection (a), the district
57	63		or charter school shall post the guidelines publicly on the
58	64		district's or charter school's Internet website.
59	65		SECTION 2. The Texas Education Agency shall develop and
60	66		distribute the guidelines for the use of digital devices required
61	67		under Section 38.0231, Education Code, as added by this Act, for use
62	68		beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
63	69		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
64		-	______________________________ ______________________________
65		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
66		-	I certify that H.B. No. 3489 was passed by the House on May
67		-	11, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 2, 2 present, not
68		-	voting.
69		-	______________________________
70		-	Chief Clerk of the House
71		-	I certify that H.B. No. 3489 was passed by the Senate on May
72		-	21, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
73		-	______________________________
74		-	Secretary of the Senate
75		-	APPROVED: _____________________
76		-	Date
77		-	_____________________
78		-	Governor
	70	+	* * * * *