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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to parental access to public school library Internet |
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portals and restriction of access to certain public school library |
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materials for the parent's student. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 33, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 33.026 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.026. PARENTAL ACCESS TO LIBRARY INTERNET PORTAL |
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AND RESTRICTION OF STUDENT ACCESS TO CERTAIN LIBRARY MATERIALS. |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Parent" includes a person standing in parental |
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relation. |
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(2) "School library Internet portal" means an Internet |
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portal that allows a student enrolled in a school district or |
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open-enrollment charter school to reserve or check out materials in |
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the catalog of a school library at the district or school. |
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(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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that maintains, or contracts with a third party to maintain, a |
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school library Internet portal shall ensure that the Internet |
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portal includes a feature for a parent of a student enrolled in the |
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district or school to: |
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(1) access the Internet portal; and |
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(2) designate a library material as a restricted |
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material that the parent's student may not be allowed to reserve, |
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check out, or otherwise access for use outside of the school |
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library. |
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(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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not allow a student to reserve, check out, or otherwise use outside |
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the school library a library material the student's parent has |
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designated as a restricted material under Subsection (b). |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2024-2025 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2024, each school |
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district and open-enrollment charter school shall ensure that each |
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school library Internet portal complies with Section 33.026, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |