Bill Text: TX HB2875 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to requirements regarding certain student resources provided to public and private school students by a public or private primary or secondary school, institution of higher education, state agency, or public library.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-14 - Referred to State Affairs [HB2875 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2875-Introduced.html
88R6144 DIO-F | ||
By: Leo-Wilson | H.B. No. 2875 |
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relating to requirements regarding certain student resources | ||
provided to public and private school students by a public or | ||
private primary or secondary school, institution of higher | ||
education, state agency, or public library. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 38.043 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 38.043. REQUIREMENTS REGARDING CERTAIN STUDENT | ||
RESOURCES. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(2) "Library" means: | ||
(A) a public library or a library system, as | ||
defined by Section 441.122, Government Code; | ||
(B) a library operated by an institution of | ||
higher education, a school district, or an open-enrollment charter | ||
school; or | ||
(C) a library operated by a state agency or | ||
political subdivision. | ||
(3) "Provider" means a person, including a vendor, who | ||
provides student resources. | ||
(4) "Student" means a child enrolled as a student in | ||
prekindergarten through 12th grade in a public or private school in | ||
this state. | ||
(5) "Student resources" means physical, digital, or | ||
online library resources, access to databases, and curriculum and | ||
supportive materials for use by a student. | ||
(b) A school district, open-enrollment charter school, | ||
private school, institution of higher education, state agency, or | ||
library may not provide student resources to a student unless the | ||
resource has been verified by the provider of the resource for | ||
compliance with Subsection (c). | ||
(c) A provider shall adopt safety policies and technology | ||
protections to verify that the student resources the provider | ||
provides to a school district, open-enrollment charter school, | ||
private school, institution of higher education, state agency, or | ||
library: | ||
(1) do not contain or allow access to a communication, | ||
written description, photographic image, video image, or audio | ||
file, that relates to, depicts, or describes: | ||
(A) a material or performance that is obscene, as | ||
defined by Section 43.21, Penal Code; | ||
(B) child pornography, as described by Section | ||
43.26, Penal Code; or | ||
(C) sexual exploitation, as defined by Section | ||
81.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code; | ||
(2) do not allow a student to receive, send, upload, or | ||
download a communication, written description, photographic image, | ||
video image, or audio file described by Subdivision (1); and | ||
(3) filter or block a student's access to an item | ||
described by Subdivisions (1) and (2). | ||
(d) Before providing any student resources to a school | ||
district, open-enrollment charter school, private school, | ||
institution of higher education, state agency, or library, a | ||
provider shall notify the receiving entity regarding whether those | ||
student resources comply with Subsection (c). | ||
(e) If a contract between a provider and a school district, | ||
open-enrollment charter school, private school, institution of | ||
higher education, state agency, or library for the provision of | ||
student resources is in effect, failure by a provider to comply with | ||
Subsections (c) and (d) entitles the representative of a school | ||
district, open-enrollment charter school, private school, | ||
institution of higher education, state agency, or library to: | ||
(1) terminate the contract for nonperformance or | ||
breach of contract; or | ||
(2) withhold any further payments, if any, to the | ||
provider pending verification and notice of compliance with | ||
Subsections (c) and (d). | ||
(f) This section may not be construed to limit or otherwise | ||
affect a person's criminal liability under other law. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1 of each year, each | ||
entity that receives "student resources" from a "provider," as | ||
those terms are defined by Section 38.043, Education Code, as added | ||
by this Act, shall report to the legislature regarding any issues | ||
with provider compliance related to the requirements of that | ||
section. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |