| 1 | 1 | | 88R370 JES-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 99 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to digital citizenship instruction in public schools. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.002(z), Education Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (z) The State Board of Education by rule shall require each |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | school district to incorporate instruction in digital citizenship |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | into the district's curriculum, including information regarding |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | the potential criminal consequences of cyberbullying, and require |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | students enrolled in grade level six to complete instruction in |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | digital citizenship as part of the district's social studies |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | curriculum. In this subsection: |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (1) "Cyberbullying" has the meaning assigned by |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Section 37.0832. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (2) "Digital citizenship" means the standards of |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | appropriate, responsible, and healthy online behavior, including: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (A) media literacy and the ability to identify |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | credible sources of information and access, analyze, evaluate, |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | create, and act on all forms of digital communication; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (B) digital ethics, etiquette, respectful |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | discourse with people who have differing opinions, safety, |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | security, digital footprint, and the identification of rhetoric |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | that incites violence based on a person's race, religion, or |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | political affiliation; and |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (C) cyberbullying prevention and response. |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | school year. |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|