A house bill aimed at clarifying issues with the state’s traceable communications law that was approved last year has made its way out of committee.
House Bill 67 aims to make clarifications to last year’s Senate Bill 181, which required public school districts to establish a traceable electronic communications system between students and teachers and other school authority figures to provide oversight and establish boundaries.
Lawmakers say the traceable communications law was well-intentioned, but had several unintended consequences. House Bill 67, if passed, would make exemptions for parents that teach at the same school as their child. It would also add cousins to the list of exempted family members as well as any adult living in the same household as the student.
The bill also makes exceptions for group texts where there is more than one school employee or volunteer and more than one student for academic, athletic or extracurricular purposes.
One of the most notable portions of the bill allows teachers who may encounter students in other jobs, such as a youth pastor or church leader, to disclose that position and be exempt from the traceable communication system.
The bill now goes before the full house for consideration.
