Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Tex. Education Code § 38.0231

This is the official text of Tex. Education Code § 38.0231, part of Texas’s Education Code — governs public schools and universities in Texas.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 38.0231. GUIDELINES FOR USE OF DIGITAL DEVICES.

Official statutory text

(a) The agency, in consultation with the Health and Human Services Commission, shall develop and distribute model health and safety guidelines that school districts and open-enrollment charter schools may use to determine best practices for the effective integration of digital devices in public schools. The guidelines must:

(1) be based on evidence-based studies and practices;

(2) consider the needs of students with intellectual or physical disabilities;

(3) consider the potential costs of implementation of the guidelines and affordable ways to reduce the hazards associated with the extended use of digital devices; and

(4) address:

(A) digital device use for varying age ranges and developmental levels;

(B) the amount of time a student spends using digital devices in the classroom;

(C) appropriate frequency for breaks from the use of digital devices;

(D) physical positioning of digital devices in the classroom;

(E) the use of digital devices to complete homework assignments;

(F) recommended total daily screen time usage for students;

(G) recommended practices or software to block access to inappropriate content; and

(H) recommended teacher training regarding digital device use in the classroom to ensure implementation of the best practices.

(b) The school board of each school district or the governing body of each open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a policy for the effective integration of digital devices in the district or school. In adopting the policy, the school board or the governing body may decide whether to adopt the guidelines developed under Subsection (a) for use in the district or school.

(c) Each school district or open-enrollment charter school that adopts the guidelines developed under Subsection (a) may implement the guidelines in a manner that best meets the district's or charter school's individual needs and the individual needs of students in the district or school, including students with intellectual or physical disabilities.

(d) If a school district or open-enrollment charter school adopts the guidelines developed under Subsection (a), the district or charter school shall post the guidelines publicly on the district's or charter school's Internet website.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Texas?

Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.