BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 348
	By: Kolkhorst
	Education
	5/31/2021
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, the Texas Education Code permits parents to have access to the teaching and instructional materials of the parent's child. Since the onset of the COVID pandemic in Texas, school districts have shifted much of their class instruction to online.

Many parents of children enrolled in remote instruction are tasked with monitoring and assisting in their child's education. This requires parents to have extensive access to much of the teaching and instructional content, which has been an ongoing practice since the start of the COVID pandemic. While the current statute allows for parent access to teaching materials, it does not specify teaching materials that are online. S.B. 348 enhances existing law to ensure that parents have the right to observe any virtual instruction and review any teaching materials, instructional materials, or other teaching aids provided to the parent's child while the parent's child is participating in virtual or remote learning.

(Original Author's / Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

S.B. 348 amends current law relating to parental access to public school virtual instruction and instructional materials for virtual and remote learning.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 26.006(a), Education Code, as follows:

(a) Entitles a parent to:

(1) review all teaching materials, instructional materials, and other teaching aids used in the classroom of the parent's child, including while the child is participating in virtual or remote learning;

(2) makes a nonsubstantive change to this subdivision; and

(3) observe virtual instruction while the parent's child is participating in virtual or remote learning to the same extent the parent would be entitled to observe in-person instruction of the child.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.