88R6733 CXP-D
By: Shaheen H.B. No. 1853
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to parental access to public school library Internet
portals and restriction of access to certain public school library
materials for the parent's student.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 33.026 to read as follows:
Sec. 33.026. PARENTAL ACCESS TO LIBRARY INTERNET PORTAL
AND RESTRICTION OF STUDENT ACCESS TO CERTAIN LIBRARY MATERIALS.
(a) In this section:
(1) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental
relation.
(2) "School library Internet portal" means an Internet
portal that allows a student enrolled in a school district or
open-enrollment charter school to reserve or check out materials in
the catalog of a school library at the district or school.
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
that maintains, or contracts with a third party to maintain, a
school library Internet portal shall ensure that the Internet
portal includes a feature for a parent of a student enrolled in the
district or school to:
(1) access the Internet portal; and
(2) designate a library material as a restricted
material that the parent's student may not be allowed to reserve,
check out, or otherwise access for use outside of the school
library.
(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
not allow a student to reserve, check out, or otherwise use outside
the school library a library material the student's parent has
designated as a restricted material under Subsection (b).
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2024-2025
school year.
SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2024, each school
district and open-enrollment charter school shall ensure that each
school library Internet portal complies with Section 33.026,
Education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.