| 1 | 1 | | 89R2265 AMF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 641 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to digital citizenship instruction in public schools. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.002(z), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (z) The State Board of Education by rule shall require each |
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| 14 | 14 | | school district to incorporate instruction in digital citizenship |
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| 15 | 15 | | into the district's curriculum, including information regarding |
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| 16 | 16 | | the potential criminal consequences of cyberbullying, and require |
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| 17 | 17 | | students enrolled in grade level six to complete instruction in |
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| 18 | 18 | | digital citizenship as part of the district's social studies |
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| 19 | 19 | | curriculum. In this subsection: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) "Cyberbullying" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 21 | 21 | | Section 37.0832. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) "Digital citizenship" means the standards of |
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| 23 | 23 | | appropriate, responsible, and healthy online behavior, including: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) media literacy and the ability to identify |
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| 25 | 25 | | credible sources of information, including by analyzing content |
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| 26 | 26 | | created or modified by generative artificial intelligence |
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| 27 | 27 | | technology, and to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act on |
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| 28 | 28 | | all forms of digital communication; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) digital ethics, etiquette, respectful |
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| 30 | 30 | | discourse with people who have differing opinions, safety, |
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| 31 | 31 | | security, digital footprint, and the identification of rhetoric |
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| 32 | 32 | | that incites violence based on a person's race, religion, or |
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| 33 | 33 | | political affiliation; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (C) cyberbullying prevention and response. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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| 36 | 36 | | school year. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 38 | 38 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 39 | 39 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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