88R7756 ANG-F
By: Paxton S.B. No. 982
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to parental access to public school instructional
materials and tests.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 26.006, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsections (b), (c), and (e)
to read as follows:
(a-1) In this section, "instructional material" has the
meaning assigned by Section 31.002 and includes supplemental
instructional material described by Section 31.035.
(b) A school district shall make [teaching] materials and
tests described by Subsection (a) readily available for review by
parents. The district may specify reasonable hours and methods for
review. The methods for review may include providing a digital copy
or providing online access through a learning management system or
online learning portal as described by Subsection (e).
(c) A student's parent is entitled to request that the
school district or open-enrollment charter school the student
attends allow the student to take home any instructional materials
used by the student. Subject to the availability of the
instructional materials, the district or school shall honor the
request. A student who takes home instructional materials must
return the instructional materials to school at the beginning of
the next school day if requested to do so by the student's teacher.
A school district or open-enrollment charter school must provide
the instructional materials to the student in printed format if the
student does not have reliable access to technology at the
student's home. [In this subsection, "instructional material" has
the meaning assigned by Section 31.002.]
(e) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school
that uses a learning management system or any online learning
portal to assign, distribute, present, or make available
instructional materials [as defined by Section 31.002] to students
shall provide login credentials to the system or portal to each
student's parent.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
school year.
SECTION 3. 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, 2023.