85R6883 MEW-F
 
  By: Blanco H.B. No. 1042
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to student access to public school instructional materials
  and technology.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 26.006, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read
  as follows:
         (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 book 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.
         (d)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
  must document each parental request made under Subsection (c) to
  allow a student to take home instructional material used by the
  student that the district or school denies.  The documentation must
  include the reasons for denying the request.  Not later than the
  30th day after the date the district or school receives the request,
  the district or school must report to the agency that the request
  has been denied. 
         (e)  Not later than September 1 of each year, the agency
  shall submit an annual report to the legislature that includes the
  number of parental requests made under Subsection (c) to allow a
  student to take home instructional material used by the student
  that each school district and open-enrollment charter school denied
  and the reasons for the denial.
         SECTION 2.  Section 26.006, Education Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies beginning with the 2017-2018 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, 2017.