Bill Text: TX SB1447 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to standards adopted by the Texas Education Agency regarding the use of electronic devices and software applications by public schools.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-19 - Filed [SB1447 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-SB1447-Introduced.html

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89R10768 MEW-F
By: Menéndez, Zaffirini S.B. No. 1447

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to standards adopted by the Texas Education Agency
regarding the use of electronic devices and software applications
by public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 32.1021, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 32.1021. STANDARDS. The agency shall adopt standards
for permissible electronic devices and software applications used
by a school district or open-enrollment charter school. In
adopting the standards, the agency must:
(1) minimize data collection conducted on students
through electronic devices and software applications;
(2) ensure direct and informed parental consent is
required for a student's use of a software application, other than a
software application necessary for the administration of:
(A) an assessment instrument under Subchapter B,
Chapter 39; or
(B) an assessment relating to college, career, or
military readiness for which student performance is considered in
evaluating a school district's performance under Section 39.054;
(3) ensure software applications do not conduct mental
health assessments or other assessments unrelated to educational
curricula that are intended to collect information about students
without direct and informed parental consent;
(4) ensure that parents are provided the resources
necessary to understand cybersecurity risks and online safety
regarding their child's use of electronic devices before the child
uses an electronic device at the child's school;
(5) specify periods of time during which an electronic
device transferred to a student must be deactivated in the interest
of student safety;
(6) consider necessary adjustments by age level to the
use of electronic devices in the classroom to foster development of
students' abilities regarding spending school time and completing
assignments without the use of an electronic device;
(7) consider appropriate restrictions on student
access to social media websites or applications with an electronic
device transferred to a student by a district or school;
(8) provide for exceptions to the standards to allow a
student with a disability, in accordance with an individualized
education program developed by the student's admission, review, and
dismissal committee under Section 29.005 or a plan developed by a
team established for the student under Section 504, Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), to use as a reasonable
accommodation or assistive technology electronic devices or
software applications that otherwise might not be permissible under
the standards;
(9) [(8)] require a district or school, before using a
social media application for an educational purpose, to determine
that an alternative application that is more secure and provides
the same educational functionality as the social media application
is unavailable for that educational purpose;
(10) [(9)] consider the required use of an Internet
filter capable of notifying appropriate school administrators, who
are then required to notify the student's parent, if a student
accesses inappropriate or concerning content or words, including
content related to:
(A) self-harm;
(B) suicide;
(C) violence to others; or
(D) illicit drugs;
(11) [(10)] assign to the appropriate officer of a
district or school the duty to receive complaints or concerns
regarding student use of electronic devices, including
cybersecurity and online safety concerns, from district or school
staff, other students, or parents; and
(12) [(11)] provide methods by which a district or
school may ensure an operator, as that term is defined by Section
32.151, that contracts with the district or school to provide
software applications complies with Subchapter D.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
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, 2025.