By: Taylor S.B. No. 1453

(In the Senate - Filed March 4, 2019; March 14, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 16, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 16, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1453 By: Taylor

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of calculator applications in place of graphing calculators in public schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 25.904 to read as follows:

Sec. 25.904. USE OF CALCULATOR APPLICATION IN PLACE OF GRAPHING CALCULATOR. (a) A school district shall permit a student enrolled in a course that requires the student to use a graphing calculator to use a calculator application on a computing device, including a personal, laptop, or tablet computer, that provides the same functionality, unless the district makes available to the student a graphing calculator at no cost to the student.

(b) A school district may adopt policies related to student use of a computing device under this section.

(c) To the extent this section conflicts with Section 37.082, this section prevails.

(d) The agency shall conduct an evaluation of best practices for the use of a calculator application on a computing device by a student during an assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023. On completion of the evaluation the agency shall adopt rules establishing a policy for the permitted use of a calculator application on a computing device. The rules must specify the types of calculator applications and computing devices students are authorized to use and the circumstances under which each calculator application and computing device may be used. The agency shall post to the agency's Internet website and communicate to each school district the policy adopted under this subsection and a list of approved calculator applications and computing devices, including information relating to the cost and functionality of each listed calculator application and computing device.

SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Texas Education Agency shall adopt rules establishing a policy for the use of a calculator application on a computing device as required by Section 25.904(d), Education Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

SECTION 4. 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, 2019.

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