| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a study by the Department of State Health Services |
|
|
regarding the effects of online activity on children. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Child" means an individual who is younger than 18 |
|
|
years of age. |
|
|
(2) "Department" means the Department of State Health |
|
|
Services. |
|
|
(b) The department, in collaboration with the Texas |
|
|
Education Agency, shall conduct a study to assess the short-term |
|
|
and long-term effects of online activity on a child's well-being. |
|
|
(c) In conducting the study, the department shall: |
|
|
(1) define the term "digital well-being" in the |
|
|
context of children engaging in online activity; |
|
|
(2) identify the desired positive outcomes for |
|
|
children engaging in online activity and develop recommendations |
|
|
for achieving those positive outcomes; |
|
|
(3) identify and examine: |
|
|
(A) the types of online activity that children |
|
|
engage in that correspond with different digital well-being |
|
|
outcomes, including an analysis of the content of the online |
|
|
activity; and |
|
|
(B) recommendations from public and private |
|
|
institutions for best practices for ensuring children's online |
|
|
activity is safe and healthy; and |
|
|
(4) solicit feedback from children and children's |
|
|
parents or legal guardians regarding specific harms that children |
|
|
have experienced as a result of engaging in online activity. |
|
|
(d) Not later than December 1, 2027, the department shall |
|
|
submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
|
|
house of representatives, and the commissioner of the department a |
|
|
written report that: |
|
|
(1) summarizes the results of the study conducted |
|
|
under this section; and |
|
|
(2) includes recommendations for legislative or other |
|
|
action. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act expires January 1, 2028. |
|
|
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. |