is homework mandatory in texas

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Legal Homework Rights: What’s the Limit on Homework?

Hi, I just read your article Titled “Can You ‘Opt Out’ of Homework?” ( Click HERE  for the original article. ) I enjoyed the article but I guess I need a more concrete answer to the question of my legal homework rights: CAN I LEGALLY OPT OUT OF HOMEWORK FOR MY CHILD? – Dawn, SOAR ®  Parent

The answer is a resounding, Yes!

You have legal rights to put limits on your child’s homework time.

When homework begins to erode family relationships and/or increases the students anxiety, its time to make modifications. First, try communicating and working collaboratively with teachers and administrators.  If that doesn’t work, then you do have legal homework rights…

Legal Homework Rights

You absolutely do have legal rights to put reasonable limits on your child’s homework time. The legal tool you want to use is called a 504. For a link that provides a quick overview to the 504 law, click HERE .

504: The Legal Homework Rights Tool

Basically, the 504 law refers to legal homework rights (known as “accommodations”) that must be made for a child’s “impairment.”  As you’ll read, “impairments” are defined very loosely throughout the law, and this is done purposely to accommodate all students’ various needs. If your child has a diagnosis of ADHD, Dyslexia, etc. that will help, but it’s not necessary.

I have seen the 504 law used throughout my career as an educator for students and families exercising their legal homework rights.  I have also used it with my own children to get schools to accommodate what I felt was appropriate.

The 504 Process

The actual 504 process includes paperwork and a series of meetings. The meetings typically include a school counselor, a teacher, an administrator, and you and your child. In the meeting, all of your concerns will be documented and specific actions or remedies (like limiting homework) will be recorded. This document becomes a legally binding contract that your child’s teacher and administrator are required to uphold.

Legal Homework Rights: What’s a Reasonable Amount of Time for Homework?

So, what is a reasonable recommendation regarding time spent on homework?

We support the “10 Minute Rule.”   That’s a maximum of 10 minutes times the grade-level of the child. So, 10-minute max for 1 st grade, 20-minute max for 2 nd grade, up to 120-minute max for 12 th grade.

The “10-minute rule” is a great accommodation for a 504, because it is set to increase the limit on homework time as the child progresses through school. We’re not talking about eliminating homework just to create an easy path for our children.  Parents that have significant battles over homework, that can easily last an hour or more, understand that homework reaches a point where it is not productive.

Too much homework is destructive t o motivation, self-esteem, and to family relationships.  So, don’t be afraid to exercise your legal rights. This is the point where we want to pursue our legal homework rights.

In addition to pursuing 504 accommodations, you may want to give your students better skills to handle the demands of school.  To learn more about the SOAR ®  Parent Products, click HERE .

Brian Winter, M.Ed.

Co-Author, SOAR Social-Emotional Learning Skills

Six Steps to Conquer the Chaos

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Texas Teacher’s ‘No Homework’ Rule Strikes a Chord With Parents

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By now, you’ve probably seen the note a 2 nd grade teacher in Godley, Texas, sent home with her students saying she would not give any assigned homework this year.

A parent posted the note to Facebook , and it went viral. As of this afternoon, it’s been shared more than 73,000 times.

In the note, teacher Brandy Young wrote, “research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance,” and she asked parents, “to spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success,” such as reading together and getting your kids to bed early.

In an interview with the Star-Telegram, Young said, “I want my students to have a full life. I want them to develop their whole person, not just this paper-and-pencil student that they can be working on in the classroom. When my students go home, they have other things they need to learn there... The homework outside of the room needs to be meaningful, engaging, and relevant. When I re-evaluated what I was sending home, paper-and-pencil practice, I decided it wasn’t meaningful, and it wasn’t relevant, and it wasn’t engaging for my kids.”

Many parents praised the move and used the opportunity to lament their young children’s long, arduous homework assignments.

Cathy Vatterott is a professor of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis . She’s written about this topic extensively. Her book, Rethinking Homework , was published in 2009. She said in the past 10 to 15 years more elementary schools have implemented homework policies that set limits on the practice, while some have eliminated homework altogether in favor of having students spend a certain amount of time reading each night.

10-Minute Rule

The schools that seek to limit homework often encourage teachers to abide by what’s known as the 10-minute rule, which is advocated by the national PTA and the National Education Association. It calls for students to have 10 minutes of homework per grade level. So students in 1st grade would have 10 minutes of homework, while students in 2 nd grade would have 20 minutes and so on.

Vatterott credited parents for this shift away from homework in elementary school and categorizes it as part of the balance movement.

“Adults are saying we need work-life balance,” said Vatterott. “Now they’re saying we want that for our children as well.”

She said there are also more concerns now about elementary students feeling stressed and suffering from ailments related to that condition.

And, then there’s the research showing homework offers little to no benefit for children in the early grades.

“There’s a lot of homework out there that is not helping kids,” said Vatterott. “It’s busy work. It’s not contributing to kids’ actual learning.”

She said too many teachers are assigning more homework than the 10-minute rule allows.

“The teachers are piling it on because they think that rigor equals load,” said Vatterott. “Piling it on does not mean, ‘Oh, we’re a really tough, rigorous school.’”

Quality Assignments?

She said when she started researching homework 18 years ago she began to question some of the work that was being assigned.

“My joke is the word search put me over the edge,” said Vatterott. “Why are we doing a word search? Why are we finding these words in a sea of letters? What is the educational value of that? I think parents are getting more skeptical, and I think they’re getting more militant. They’re starting to just say ‘No, we’re not doing this.’”

There are those who say homework is not really about the work when it comes to elementary students. They suggest that learning to complete assignments teaches children responsibility.

But Vatterott disagrees.

“I think it teaches compliance and obedience, that no matter what crappy task gets sent home I have to do this,” said Vatterott, who argues that she is not anti-homework.

“I am for reasonable amounts of homework that can be done without help,” said Vatterott. “I am against excessive work. I’m against busy work, and I’m against failing kids for not doing homework.”

She supports the 10-minute rule but stresses it has to be time-based not task-based. So while it might take one student 20 minutes to do 10 math problems it might take another student 40 minutes, and teachers have to account for that.

“I think that is developmentally appropriate in the sense of how much sleep kids need, how much downtime they need, how hard they’re working during that day,” said Vatterott. “I would be fine if we would stick to the 10-minute rule in elementary school, and I’m also OK if we say we’re not going to do homework at all and maybe introduce it in the 4 th or 5 th grade.”

A version of this news article first appeared in the Time and Learning blog.

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Is Homework Illegal AnyWhere?

• Post author By admin
• September 19, 2022

In this blog, you will learn about is homework illegal? so let’s get started.

Homework has become an important part since Horace Mann invented school. But many students have a query “is homework illegal?” – many students don’t want to do homework, and according to the research, this happens worldwide. 

Homework is time-consuming and stressful for students. That’s why students hate to do homework and want to know is it legal or illegal. We know that you are one of them that want to know is homework illegal or legal. For some reasons, you can say it is illegal or for some, it is legal. 

We will start with the illegal site. Many American elementary schools have banned homework because they find that homework can affect students’ health by causing stomach and headaches problems.

Many students suffer from sleep deprivation because they stay up late at night to complete their homework. It can be harmful to children’s learning skills because sleep has been shown to assist memory consolidation.

Table of Contents

Is Homework Illegal?

While the answer to the question “is homework illegal?” is “no, not yet,” our attitudes toward homework are changing, and the pandemic has caused us to reconsider children’s work-life balance. Some school districts and individual schools have begun to prohibit homework and limit the amount of homework that can be assigned to students. Some schools have said that homework is given out only 2-3 times per week, and others have outright banned homework for students under the age of 15. 

Why Homework Is Not Illegal

There are numerous disagreements over the effectiveness of homework. However, after years of debate and research, there is no solid proof that it helps students in achieving higher marks. While some kids dislike homework and perform better in school without it, others rely on it to gain a deeper understanding of certain subjects.

For example, many students gain a better understanding of mathematical ideas through repeated practice. As a result, making homework unlawful may disadvantage more students, skewing the outcomes in favour of children who are born with these skills.

The government recognises this and has not passed any legislation prohibiting schools from assigning homework. Law enforcement will not arrest a teacher for assigning homework to students. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

A short history of homework for you

There is no definitive answer to the question of when homework was invented and who invented homework .  Pliny the Younger from the Roman Empire, Roberto Nevilis from Italy in 1905, or Horace Mann can all be credited.  In one form or another, homework has almost certainly been around for a long time.  

One of the last two men is supposed to have introduced today’s concept of homework (after all, a woman would have known that there is PLENTY to do at home!). It was created as a punishment or as a way to show students that they can control their time.

As soon as homework was introduced, it was controversial.  In some states, homework bans were already in place at the turn of the 20th century.  The amount of homework given to kids increased as fears of the cold war grew and Americans were concerned about falling behind.  Later, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the anti-homework sentiment grew again, and students were given less homework. The country was experiencing an economic downturn when I entered the “workforce,” which means school.  Who else could be blamed but teachers?  There is a suggestion that the amount of homework given to kids should be increased by the Department of Education.

It has been reported that some high school students report having up to three hours of homework per night since then. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

Importance Of Homework

Improve memory

Whatever students learn in the classroom they can revise while doing homework. It can help them to improve their memory.

Students can learn to make good use of time

When students spend a lot of time completing their homework it helps them to keep away from useless activities such as spending more hours on phones, television or video games. 

Students can become independent

Many students do their homework on their own. They don’t get help from their teacher or friends. It makes them self-reliant and increases their confidence. 

Students learn responsibility

Many students understand that finishing homework is their responsibility. That’s why they do their homework every day.  It makes them responsible as a person.

Students learn to use many resources

When students do their homework they learn to use many resources such as libraries, the internet, etc. it helps them to find more information to complete their homework on time. 

Allow parents to involve in the studies of their child

When students do their homework it allows their parents to know what their child learns in school. And they can get involved with the child in their studies. 

Improves academic performance

Learning in the classroom isn’t enough to get good grades in school. Self-study is very important for achieving high grades.

Increases concentration

When students do their homework they find a peaceful place to study where they can concentrate more to complete their homework.

Why Should Students Have Homework?

One of the most important reasons a student has homework is that it allows professors to see where students are struggling with the course and assistance. 

At the same time, some students can work from the comfort of their own homes. It also allows teachers to get to know their students because some students are fast learners while others are slow learners.

Teachers can see where their students are lacking. The advantages of homework include teaching kids how to work as part of a group or collaborate effectively with others.

It can help the student in learning how to be self-sufficient. The schoolwork of their children is visible to their parents.

Kids should be assigned homework because there isn’t enough time at school, and some projects must be completed. Homework can increase a student’s self-esteem, but they can immediately identify their issues and get help before it’s too late if they struggle with it. 

One of the reasons professors assign homework is to encourage students to stay on track because failing behind might lead to failure. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

Is It Legal For Me To Do My Homework?

Legally, you are not required to do your homework. There is no law enforcement body that will arrest you for not doing your homework. A student who fails to complete his/her homework has the right to have it dealt with by the school.

The school may ask you to leave if you repeatedly ignore homework in schools where homework is part of the learning approach.  In some cases, parents who let their children ignore homework may attempt to get an exemption at the School Board, but in most cases, such requests still result in the child being asked to leave school.

If you refuse to do your homework, you aren’t breaking any federal or state laws, but you have no control over the actions your school will take. They have the legal authority to make whatever decision they deem appropriate. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

What States Have Illegal Homework Laws?

In all US states, homework is legal because there are no state laws prohibiting it. However, schools in different states are allowed to set their own rules about homework.

Some states ban or limit homework in some schools (or districts) including:

• Connecticut

20 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

Here are 20 reasons why homework should be banned : 

• Homework Restricts A Student’s Freedom
• No Time For Exercises 
• No Time To Play Outdoor Games 
• Often Breaks Students’ Confidence
• Homework Doing Not An Achievement
• Most Homework Creates Bad Habits
• Less Time To Spend With Family Members
• Conflict With Parents
• Homework Can Encourage Cheating
• Downtime At Home
• Negative Impact On Tests
• Writing Has Different Effects
• Extra Challenges
• Homework Causes Depression
• Homework Provides No Real Benefit
• Too Much Homework Means Not Enough Time For Yourself
• School Is a Full-Time Job
• No real impact on performance
• Irrelevant content

Can Homework Be Considered Slavery?

There is no legal definition that would support the claim that homework is slavery. Even though home assignments are assigned without permission, comparing them to slavery is a ridiculous argument that cannot stand up to legal scrutiny.

If homework is considered slavery, you will need to prove that the teacher or instructor receives economic benefit from your work. However, teachers do not receive any economic benefit from assigning homework. Our sole goal is to help students apply what they’ve learned and become more comfortable with what they know.

Regardless of whether you believe the homework you’re assigned contributes to your career in any way, you can make your case to the appropriate authorities. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

What Is The Legal Homework Rights?

You can limit the amount of time your child spends on homework under the legal homework rights. It is possible to use the 504 law for these purposes, as it has multiple accommodations for children with impairment.

The term “impairment” is loosely defined under this law, which makes it a good legal tool when you’re seeking to accommodate a student’s various needs.

Having a child who has a diagnosis like Dyslexia or ADHD gives you a stronger case. Parents also have the right to exercise these rights with no diagnosis. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

How the 504 Process Works

Meetings with key stakeholders and paperwork are part of the 504 processes. These stakeholders include:

• The student
• A school administrator

They will pay attention and document all of your concerns during the meeting. An administrator or the child’s teacher must adhere to the record or document. On some occasions, the case goes to court before it is enforced but typically ends in the meeting room.

What Is The Optimal Amount Of Time To Spend On Homework Each Day?

There is no universally optimal amount of time to spend on homework per day. Most educators suggest using the 10-minute rule. To determine how much time your child should spend on homework, you should multiply 10 minutes by his/her grade level. 

That calculation indicates that a second grader should only have 20 minutes of homework per day, while students in 12th grade can have up to two hours of homework per day.

By using the legal homework rights, parents can get some concessions using the 10-minute rule. If a child has no homework in their academic life, it’s easier to request that the homework time be reduced (which will increase with each passing year). This blog is all about is homework illegal.

The Argument Against Homework

The following are some of the arguments used against homework:

• This encroaches on family and relaxation time. Students require some time every day to relax, play, connect with family members, get adequate sleep, and more. These activities are essential for a healthy balance between academics and personal life. When you have a lot of homework every day, you spend most of your relaxation time studying.
• There is a lot of pressure on students. When students know they still have homework to do, they feel an unnecessary amount of mental pressure. In the long run, consistent pressure could negatively affect a student’s performance at school.
• A child’s self-confidence can be affected by this. Poor homework results and poor results can make a student withdraw from other students and dread meetings with their teachers.
• Homework isn’t graded quickly (if at all). Teachers are often very busy dealing with different aspects of the academic process, so they glance at homework only briefly. In some cases, the students receive feedback long after the class has changed topics. Poorly graded homework defeats its purpose.

The Argument for Homework

• It allows parents and children to work together. The relationship between a child and a parent can be further improved by solving homework together. The parent can see how the child copes with schoolwork and address any concerns with the authorities.
• Students learn how to solve problems through this activity. In addition to learning to solve problems independently, children who complete their homework regularly will also gain valuable life skills. Students will be able to find information through books, the internet, and other sources on their own.
• It gives students insight into a teacher’s thought process. By doing their homework, students gain a deeper understanding of how teachers think, which can help them prepare for tests and exams. 
• It can help a child develop a higher sense of self-worth . When students receive high grades on their homework and complete their assignments they might feel more confident, which may lead to them becoming better students. 

Conclusion (Is Homework Illegal)

In this blog, we have discussed about is homework illegal. i hope you have understood about is homework illegal easily.

Homework is not illegal or slave labor. However, you can’t ignore the positive outcomes and the overall impact on a child’s academic foundation, regardless of the valid concerns about the impact on students. Furthermore, homework is not compulsory for students.

It is, however, up to the school to decide how to handle the student.

The school administrators can review your concerns about the amount of work your child has to do or about the relevance of the homework. This blog is all about is homework illegal.

FAQs Related To Is Homework Illegal?

Is it illegal to give homework.

Students are not required to do homework by law. While he does not prohibit schools from setting and enforcing rules and standards, he does provide schools with the tools to help ensure students receive a quality education. In other words, the school has the power to make you do your homework or face school-internal consequences.

Is there a legal limit to homework?

Homework assignments are not regulated by federal law, either. … A first-grader, for example, should not have to do more than ten minutes of homework (10 x 1), and a high school sophomore, a tenth-grader, should not have to do more than a hundred minutes of homework (10 x 10).

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Recent Posts

15 rights parents have in public schools

by: Hank Pellissier | Updated: August 29, 2023

Print article

Is it legal for a teacher to spank your child? Can you make sure Creationism isn’t taught? Do students, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status, have the right to a free public school education?

Finding answers to these and other loaded questions about your rights and your children’s rights in U.S. public schools isn’t obvious. Should you start by looking to the federal government? Not so fast. Our founding fathers didn’t claim federal authority over public education. In 1791, they passed off the responsibility of teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic (and discipline!) to the 14 states, as written in the Constitution’s 10th Amendment . Yes, there’s a Department of Education in D.C., but as it freely admits on its website, “Education is primarily a state and local responsibility.”

To learn your rights as a public school parent, think local. Start by checking the standards of your state’s Department of Education, from Alabama to Wyoming. Then, turn to your school district and child’s school for answers. You can find information on your school and district by looking both up at GreatSchools.org .)

This said, in the centuries that have followed since the Constitution was written, the Supreme Court has added substantial constitutional rights for parents and children. Congress overcame its initial hesitations to pass sweeping education reforms like the 1964 Civil Rights Act , the Education for All Handicapped Children Act , the No Child Left Behind Act , and numerous landmark policies .

Here are 15 of your unalienable rights in the U.S. public school system.

The right to a free education, all children, regardless of immigration status, have a right to a free education, the right to be free from discrimination.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees equal treatment to everybody, including public school students. You have the right to demand the education you believe your child needs. (For support, you can contact the ACLU .) If you think your child is unfairly on a “slow track” and is being excluded from college preparatory classes due to racial or class stereotypes, you can challenge this placement. If your daughter isn’t allowed into classes like woodshop or auto shop because of her gender, that’s illegal. If she’s prevented from attending classes, graduation, or other activities because she’s pregnant, that violates her Constitutional rights. Girls also have the right to receive equal athletic opportunities .

Right to learn English and get translation services in school

Right to be safe in school.

Many state laws require schools to prevent bullying and to provide a safe and supportive learning environment, with a School Safety Plan your school’s principal has designed. Civil rights laws are in place to protect students from bullying at all federally funded schools . Teachers and fellow students cannot harass your children about their race, national origin, color, sex, disability, ethnicity, or religion. If your child is victimized, you can notify the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice . If a student makes the school an unsafe environment by carrying a weapon or explosive, starting fights, robbing students, selling drugs, or sexually assaulting classmates, you have the right to ask for the suspension or expulsion of the student.

Right to freedom of speech and religion

Right to information and participation, right to learn about evolution, not creationism or intelligent design, the right for your children to opt out of sexual health and hiv/aids prevention classes, right to opt your children out of standardized testing, right to opt your children out of the classroom entirely, right to privacy, rights of children with special needs and disabilities for special instruction, the right to get rid of bad teachers, rights for student athletes to participate, homes nearby.

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Should Kids Get Homework?

Homework gives elementary students a way to practice concepts, but too much can be harmful, experts say.

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Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful.

How much homework students should get has long been a source of debate among parents and educators. In recent years, some districts have even implemented no-homework policies, as students juggle sports, music and other activities after school.

Parents of elementary school students, in particular, have argued that after-school hours should be spent with family or playing outside rather than completing assignments. And there is little research to show that homework improves academic achievement for elementary students.

But some experts say there's value in homework, even for younger students. When done well, it can help students practice core concepts and develop study habits and time management skills. The key to effective homework, they say, is keeping assignments related to classroom learning, and tailoring the amount by age: Many experts suggest no homework for kindergartners, and little to none in first and second grade.

Value of Homework

Homework provides a chance to solidify what is being taught in the classroom that day, week or unit. Practice matters, says Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University 's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

"There really is no other domain of human ability where anybody would say you don't need to practice," she adds. "We have children practicing piano and we have children going to sports practice several days a week after school. You name the domain of ability and practice is in there."

Homework is also the place where schools and families most frequently intersect.

"The children are bringing things from the school into the home," says Paula S. Fass, professor emerita of history at the University of California—Berkeley and the author of "The End of American Childhood." "Before the pandemic, (homework) was the only real sense that parents had to what was going on in schools."

Harris Cooper, professor emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and author of "The Battle Over Homework," examined more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003 and found that — when designed properly — homework can lead to greater student success. Too much, however, is harmful. And homework has a greater positive effect on students in secondary school (grades 7-12) than those in elementary.

"Every child should be doing homework, but the amount and type that they're doing should be appropriate for their developmental level," he says. "For teachers, it's a balancing act. Doing away with homework completely is not in the best interest of children and families. But overburdening families with homework is also not in the child's or a family's best interest."

Negative Homework Assignments

Not all homework for elementary students involves completing a worksheet. Assignments can be fun, says Cooper, like having students visit educational locations, keep statistics on their favorite sports teams, read for pleasure or even help their parents grocery shop. The point is to show students that activities done outside of school can relate to subjects learned in the classroom.

But assignments that are just busy work, that force students to learn new concepts at home, or that are overly time-consuming can be counterproductive, experts say.

Homework that's just busy work.

Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful, experts say. Assignments that look more like busy work – projects or worksheets that don't require teacher feedback and aren't related to topics learned in the classroom – can be frustrating for students and create burdens for families.

"The mental health piece has definitely played a role here over the last couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the last thing we want to do is frustrate students with busy work or homework that makes no sense," says Dave Steckler, principal of Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, North Dakota.

Homework on material that kids haven't learned yet.

With the pressure to cover all topics on standardized tests and limited time during the school day, some teachers assign homework that has not yet been taught in the classroom.

Not only does this create stress, but it also causes equity challenges. Some parents speak languages other than English or work several jobs, and they aren't able to help teach their children new concepts.

" It just becomes agony for both parents and the kids to get through this worksheet, and the goal becomes getting to the bottom of (the) worksheet with answers filled in without any understanding of what any of it matters for," says professor Susan R. Goldman, co-director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois—Chicago .

Homework that's overly time-consuming.

The standard homework guideline recommended by the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Education Association is the "10-minute rule" – 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level. A fourth grader, for instance, would receive a total of 40 minutes of homework per night.

But this does not always happen, especially since not every student learns the same. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy found that primary school children actually received three times the recommended amount of homework — and that family stress increased along with the homework load.

Young children can only remain attentive for short periods, so large amounts of homework, especially lengthy projects, can negatively affect students' views on school. Some individual long-term projects – like having to build a replica city, for example – typically become an assignment for parents rather than students, Fass says.

"It's one thing to assign a project like that in which several kids are working on it together," she adds. "In (that) case, the kids do normally work on it. It's another to send it home to the families, where it becomes a burden and doesn't really accomplish very much."

Private vs. Public Schools

Do private schools assign more homework than public schools? There's little research on the issue, but experts say private school parents may be more accepting of homework, seeing it as a sign of academic rigor.

Of course, not all private schools are the same – some focus on college preparation and traditional academics, while others stress alternative approaches to education.

"I think in the academically oriented private schools, there's more support for homework from parents," says Gerald K. LeTendre, chair of educational administration at Pennsylvania State University—University Park . "I don't know if there's any research to show there's more homework, but it's less of a contentious issue."

How to Address Homework Overload

First, assess if the workload takes as long as it appears. Sometimes children may start working on a homework assignment, wander away and come back later, Cooper says.

"Parents don't see it, but they know that their child has started doing their homework four hours ago and still not done it," he adds. "They don't see that there are those four hours where their child was doing lots of other things. So the homework assignment itself actually is not four hours long. It's the way the child is approaching it."

But if homework is becoming stressful or workload is excessive, experts suggest parents first approach the teacher, followed by a school administrator.

"Many times, we can solve a lot of issues by having conversations," Steckler says, including by "sitting down, talking about the amount of homework, and what's appropriate and not appropriate."

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Is Homework Illegal in US States? [Answered 2024]

by E.A. Gjelten February 6, 2024, 2:37 am

Have you ever seen that students are suffering from stress and mental health issues due to homework burdens? A lot of problems regarding school homework have been reported in recent times which has led to a debate regarding the unproductivity of school homework. So is homework illegal or unethical? We explore the legal as well as the ethical dimensions of this debate.

Homework is considered one of the most important parts of the schooling process even in the 21st century. It has been an integral part of schooling since the adaptation of modern learning in 1837. Since that, schools all over the world have been putting a great emphasis on it.

Have you thought about this question and want to get the exact answer? Don’t worry as we have wrapped out this article just to clear doubts regarding this question. You will be able to know about the legality of homework by the end of this blog.

We’ll help you in understanding the reasons for getting homework and why it should or shouldn’t be a part of modern schooling.

Is homework illegal?

It’s completely legal to assign homework to students in all US states , however, there are some states that have enacted laws to limit or in some cases, discourage it. Here is a list of US states that have restricted homework in some way.

Homework is something that the teacher assigned to a student for practice purposes to be done from the home. It is done to streamline the learning process of the students and keep them engaged with their studies. Homework is not illegal in most countries because the current educational curriculum won’t be completed without it.

It does not create any discrimination whether you’re a student of a basic level class or an advanced level. The only difference is that you may have to do your homework without any restriction from the teacher if you are a higher education student.

Why is homework legal?

In short, it is neither illegal to assign homework nor a crime. As we have mentioned a student’s learning process won’t be completed without homework with efficient results, as per various school staff. Also, there are many reasons why homework isn’t illegal. The main benefit is that homework will keep the students engaged with studies after school time. Also, it helps them to understand the topics of their books on their own to further their understanding.

Is too much homework illegal?

No, too much homework isn’t illegal as there’s no law that limits the amount of homework assigned. Homework is a legal practice that can be given in any quantity. It does not matter how much homework you are getting from your tutor, there will be no legal issues. But we recommend you to assign not much work to your students if you are working as a teacher. It may be a good gesture for you to keep them away from the depression and stress of studies.

Is homework illegal in the UK?

No, homework is not illegal in the UK. But in contrast to the US, homework is not as prevalent of practice in the UK. As reported by the educational department, homework is not a statutory requirement for students in the United Kingdom. It depends on the teacher whether he/she wants to assign homework or not.

Also Check Is Homework Banned In Ireland?

Can I refuse for my children to do homework?

There is no issue if you are restricting your children from doing homework if there’s a solid reason for it. But keep in mind that most schools have strict policies regarding their standards. Remember to work with the teachers & articulate your reasons for refusing homework for your child.

They can downgrade your children if school policies are violated time & again. So, you should need to keep this in mind while refusing your children from doing their school homework.

Is no homework a good idea?

If alternate ways of independent learning are introduced in our schooling systems, this can be a good idea. School authorities assume that no homework may hinder the student’s learning process and restrict their learning process. A great change in the schooling infrastructure would be required to abandon the concept of homework completely.

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Does homework cause depression or affect sleep?

Normally, the answer to this question is no, but it’s certainly a possibility. Some students have reported that getting extra homework from their teachers takes a toll on their well-being. This is the main reason why people are demanding legal homework rights to provide their children with a comfortable way to learn.

Why do some people discourage homework for their children?

The main issue behind this is that most parents consider it an unnecessary burden. As we have mentioned that many students are reporting depression and stress due to excessive homework it’s the main reason why people discourage homework for their children.

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Is there any no homework law in the US?

Homework is legal according to all jurisdictions of the US and there is no law against it. So, you can say that there is no law that restricts the practice of homework in any state.

Why is homework illegal in the US?

No, homework is not illegal in the United States. Almost every state of the country has no laws to label homework as an illegal activity. With this, you must have got an answer to is homework illegal in California or any other state of the US.

Why should we not ban homework?

There aren’t many protests or solid arguments in favor of banning homework, which is a reason it remains unchanged. Banning it may cause your child’s learning skills to deteriorate. It might not be possible for your kids to understand the topic properly and comprehensively for better learning.

Is cheating on homework illegal?

Cheating on homework is not illegal but it can be termed an unethical act, following consequences from school authorities like rustication. If you are copying someone’s homework, it will just waste your time instead of learning. In turn, the core aim of homework will be ruined, which is to aid learning. So, you should do your homework on your own instead of copying from anyone else.

Can I ask someone to do my homework?

No, it isn’t a good idea to ask someone to do your homework as the consequences would be severe if you get caught. It has been seen that students ask their elder siblings or friends to do their homework if they have got excessive work to do, or just aren’t willing to put in the effort. Keep in mind that you should not do this because it will not help you in learning the concerned topic or concept. As a result, you will not be able to secure higher grades in your class.

Who can ban homework for the students?

Normally, the education authorities of the country can ban homework or illegalize it by using legislature. But there is no debate regarding this act because it can damage the learning outcomes of the students. But some schools are free to make their decisions. In all such institutes, the committee can decide on whether they have to ban homework for students or not.

Is homework slavery?

Homework is not a type of slavery if you are asked to do it freely. But it is termed a type of slavery in most regions of the world because it violates the basic laws related to consent. Any act that you have been asked to do forcefully will come under this law. Being a student, you must have been asked to do homework forcefully. In this dimension, you can say that homework is a type of slavery & it’s evident why it’s so unpopular among young students.

In the above blog, we have addressed the debate regarding “Is homework illegal”. We have also discussed almost every aspect related to this topic to make the concept very clear in your mind. You can easily decide whether homework is good for your child or not and understand whether schools ban homework & what would be its consequences.

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Why I Think All Schools Should Abolish Homework

H ow long is your child’s workweek? Thirty hours? Forty? Would it surprise you to learn that some elementary school kids have workweeks comparable to adults’ schedules? For most children, mandatory homework assignments push their workweek far beyond the school day and deep into what any other laborers would consider overtime. Even without sports or music or other school-sponsored extracurriculars, the daily homework slog keeps many students on the clock as long as lawyers, teachers, medical residents, truck drivers and other overworked adults. Is it any wonder that,deprived of the labor protections that we provide adults, our kids are suffering an epidemic of disengagement, anxiety and depression ?

With my youngest child just months away from finishing high school, I’m remembering all the needless misery and missed opportunities all three of my kids suffered because of their endless assignments. When my daughters were in middle school, I would urge them into bed before midnight and then find them clandestinely studying under the covers with a flashlight. We cut back on their activities but still found ourselves stuck in a system on overdrive, returning home from hectic days at 6 p.m. only to face hours more of homework. Now, even as a senior with a moderate course load, my son, Zak, has spent many weekends studying, finding little time for the exercise and fresh air essential to his well-being. Week after week, and without any extracurriculars, Zak logs a lot more than the 40 hours adults traditionally work each week — and with no recognition from his “bosses” that it’s too much. I can’t count the number of shared evenings, weekend outings and dinners that our family has missed and will never get back.

How much after-school time should our schools really own?

In the midst of the madness last fall, Zak said to me, “I feel like I’m working towards my death. The constant demands on my time since 5th grade are just going to continue through graduation, into college, and then into my job. It’s like I’m on an endless treadmill with no time for living.”

My spirit crumbled along with his.

Like Zak, many people are now questioning the point of putting so much demand on children and teens that they become thinly stretched and overworked. Studies have long shown that there is no academic benefit to high school homework that consumes more than a modest number of hours each week. In a study of high schoolers conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), researchers concluded that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance.”

In elementary school, where we often assign overtime even to the youngest children, studies have shown there’s no academic benefit to any amount of homework at all.

Our unquestioned acceptance of homework also flies in the face of all we know about human health, brain function and learning. Brain scientists know that rest and exercise are essential to good health and real learning . Even top adult professionals in specialized fields take care to limit their work to concentrated periods of focus. A landmark study of how humans develop expertise found that elite musicians, scientists and athletes do their most productive work only about four hours per day .

Yet we continue to overwork our children, depriving them of the chance to cultivate health and learn deeply, burdening them with an imbalance of sedentary, academic tasks. American high school students , in fact, do more homework each week than their peers in the average country in the OECD, a 2014 report found.

It’s time for an uprising.

Already, small rebellions are starting. High schools in Ridgewood, N.J. , and Fairfax County, Va., among others, have banned homework over school breaks. The entire second grade at Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Va., abolished homework this academic year. Burton Valley Elementary School in Lafayette, Calif., has eliminated homework in grades K through 4. Henry West Laboratory School , a public K-8 school in Coral Gables, Fla., eliminated mandatory, graded homework for optional assignments. One Lexington, Mass., elementary school is piloting a homework-free year, replacing it with reading for pleasure.

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Across the Atlantic, students in Spain launched a national strike against excessive assignments in November. And a second-grade teacher in Texas, made headlines this fall when she quit sending home extra work , instead urging families to “spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success. Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get your child to bed early.”

It is time that we call loudly for a clear and simple change: a workweek limit for children, counting time on the clock before and after the final bell. Why should schools extend their authority far beyond the boundaries of campus, dictating activities in our homes in the hours that belong to families? An all-out ban on after-school assignments would be optimal. Short of that, we can at least sensibly agree on a cap limiting kids to a 40-hour workweek — and fewer hours for younger children.

Resistance even to this reasonable limit will be rife. Mike Miller, an English teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., found this out firsthand when he spearheaded a homework committee to rethink the usual approach. He had read the education research and found a forgotten policy on the county books limiting homework to two hours a night, total, including all classes. “I thought it would be a slam dunk” to put the two-hour cap firmly in place, Miller said.

But immediately, people started balking. “There was a lot of fear in the community,” Miller said. “It’s like jumping off a high dive with your kids’ future. If we reduce homework to two hours or less, is my kid really going to be okay?” In the end, the committee only agreed to a homework ban over school breaks.

Miller’s response is a great model for us all. He decided to limit assignments in his own class to 20 minutes a night (the most allowed for a student with six classes to hit the two-hour max). His students didn’t suddenly fail. Their test scores remained stable. And they started using their more breathable schedule to do more creative, thoughtful work.

That’s the way we will get to a sane work schedule for kids: by simultaneously pursuing changes big and small. Even as we collaboratively press for policy changes at the district or individual school level, all teachers can act now, as individuals, to ease the strain on overworked kids.

As parents and students, we can also organize to make homework the exception rather than the rule. We can insist that every family, teacher and student be allowed to opt out of assignments without penalty to make room for important activities, and we can seek changes that shift practice exercises and assignments into the actual school day.

We’ll know our work is done only when Zak and every other child can clock out, eat dinner, sleep well and stay healthy — the very things needed to engage and learn deeply. That’s the basic standard the law applies to working adults. Let’s do the same for our kids.

Vicki Abeles is the author of the bestseller Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation, and director and producer of the documentaries “ Race to Nowhere ” and “ Beyond Measure. ”

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The Pros and Cons of Homework

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class , the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic. Some feel as though homework is a necessary part of school, while others believe that the time could be better invested. Should students have homework? Have a closer look into the arguments on both sides to decide for yourself.

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

Why should students have homework, 1. homework encourages practice.

Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career .

2. Homework Gets Parents Involved

Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success, and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect together.

3. Homework Teaches Time Management

Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills , forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills and independent thinking. One of the positive effects of homework is that it forces decision making and compromises to be made.

4. Homework Opens A Bridge Of Communication

Homework creates a connection between the student, the teacher, the school, and the parents. It allows everyone to get to know each other better, and parents can see where their children are struggling. In the same sense, parents can also see where their children are excelling. Homework in turn can allow for a better, more targeted educational plan for the student.

5. Homework Allows For More Learning Time

Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can’t see it in the moment.

6. Homework Reduces Screen Time

Many students in North America spend far too many hours watching TV. If they weren’t in school, these numbers would likely increase even more. Although homework is usually undesired, it encourages better study habits and discourages spending time in front of the TV. Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity, and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule.

The Other Side: Why Homework Is Bad

1. homework encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Should students have homework? Well, that depends on where you stand. There are arguments both for the advantages and the disadvantages of homework.

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough playtime, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school , as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Children are already sitting long hours in the classroom, and homework assignments only add to these hours. Sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and can cause health problems such as obesity. Homework takes away from time that could be spent investing in physical activity.

2. Homework Isn’t Healthy In Every Home

While many people that think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad .

3. Homework Adds To An Already Full-Time Job

School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors. Homework prevents self discovery and having the time to learn new skills outside of the school system. This is one of the main disadvantages of homework.

4. Homework Has Not Been Proven To Provide Results

Endless surveys have found that homework creates a negative attitude towards school, and homework has not been found to be linked to a higher level of academic success.

The positive effects of homework have not been backed up enough. While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements.

It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework. Extra school time does not necessarily mean better grades — quality must always come before quantity.

Accurate practice when it comes to homework simply isn’t reliable. Homework could even cause opposite effects if misunderstood, especially since the reliance is placed on the student and their parents — one of the major reasons as to why homework is bad. Many students would rather cheat in class to avoid doing their homework at home, and children often just copy off of each other or from what they read on the internet.

5. Homework Assignments Are Overdone

The general agreement is that students should not be given more than 10 minutes a day per grade level. What this means is that a first grader should be given a maximum of 10 minutes of homework, while a second grader receives 20 minutes, etc. Many students are given a lot more homework than the recommended amount, however.

On average, college students spend as much as 3 hours per night on homework . By giving too much homework, it can increase stress levels and lead to burn out. This in turn provides an opposite effect when it comes to academic success.

The pros and cons of homework are both valid, and it seems as though the question of ‘‘should students have homework?’ is not a simple, straightforward one. Parents and teachers often are found to be clashing heads, while the student is left in the middle without much say.

It’s important to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of homework, taking both perspectives into conversation to find a common ground. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is the success of the student.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

Special Education in Texas- Information for Parents and Students

• Special Education & Accommodations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that all students with disabilities receive a free and adequate public education.  The IDEA manual, provided by Disability Rights Texas, helps parents understand and participate in the education of their child.

Purpose of manual

This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the requirements of IDEA and Texas law so you can act as an equal partner in planning your child’s education.

You will learn, by using this manual and by working with school staff, how to plan an educational program that will lead to an independent and productive life for your child and yourself.

The IDEA Manual is based upon laws and policies in place at the time it was written. Laws and policies change frequently and are subject to various interpretations. Future changes in laws and policies may make some information in this manual outdated. This manual is not intended to and does not replace an attorney’s advice or assistance based on your situation.

Full IDEA Manual

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IDEA Manual 2022

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Millions blocked from porn sites as free speech, child safety debate rages across US

Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated when Texas passed HB 1181, an age-verification law. It passed in June 2023.

A high-stakes battle over pornography, child safety and free speech is heating up across the nation, with more than a half-dozen states passing age-verification laws aimed at halting minors from accessing Pornhub and other adult web sites.

Texas is among seven states to pass some form of the controversial legislation, which effectively blocks millions of adult video enthusiasts from entering Pornhub’s site unless they can prove they are at least 18 years old.

Attorneys and advocates for porn sites argue that the laws are not just prohibiting minors, but adults, too. Pornhub says it had no choice but "to completely disable access to our website in Texas" in order to reduce the risk of hefty fines and penalties.

In addition to Texas, Pornhub has reluctantly blocked site access for people in other states with age-verification laws, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

“We are fighting not only for the rights of our members and the larger adult entertainment community, but for the right of all Americans to access constitutionally protected expression in the privacy of their own home," said Alison Boden, Executive Director of Free Speech Coalition, a national advocacy organization for the First Amendment rights of adult businesses. The group filed a lawsuit in federal court last year over what it called an "anti-porn ban" by Utah lawmakers.

The HB 1181 law passed in June 2023 in Texas requires companies that offer “sexual material harmful to minors” to verify that those who visit their website are 18 or older, either by proof of government-issued identification or another system that uses public and private data.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, sued Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, in February to force them to comply with the HB 1181 law. Paxton also threatened the company with millions of dollars in civil penalties – including up to $10,000 per day for noncompliance, and $250,000 “if a child is exposed to pornographic content due to not properly verifying a user’s age.”

“Texas has a right to protect its children from the detrimental effects of pornographic content,” Paxton said in announcing the suit. “I look forward to holding any company accountable that violates our age verification laws intended to prevent minors from being exposed to harmful, obscene material on the internet.”

The Texas case illuminates similar restrictions on pornography websites across the US. And it shines a light on the debate over the balance between keeping children safe online and free speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.

New message on Pornhub in some states

When Texans go to Pornhub, they find a message that says the law impinges "on the rights of adults to access protected speech . . . Not only will it not actually protect children, but it will also inevitably reduce content creators' ability to post and distribute legal adult content and directly impact their ability to share the artistic messages they want to convey."

Pornhub says the "only effective solution" to protect children and adults is to verify the users' age on their devices and deny or allow them access to age-restricted content and websites based on that verification, according to the message on the site.

“Until the real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Texas,” the adult site's message read.

Paxton's office declared victory when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit determined the Texas law does not violate the First Amendment.

“Applying rational-basis review, the age-verification requirement is rationally related to the government’s legitimate interest in preventing minors’ access to pornography,” the court said. “Therefore, the age-verification requirement does not violate the First Amendment.”

Identification card required for adult access

More than a handful of states across the US have passed age verification legislation in the last year. Many of them require the companies to obtain an identification card from users who want to access adult sexual content.

Louisiana was the first state to pass an age-verification requirement law.

"So far, six other states have copied this (Louisiana) bill but minor changes have been made to the text, which can have big implications for systems designed to achieve compliance," reads a post from the Age Verification Providers Association . The organization is a not-for-profit global trade body representing 26 organizations who provide "age assurance solutions."

Child safety debate rages across the US

The laws - and pushback from the porn industry - cast light on the debate over free speech and child safety .

The Free Speech Coalition sued Texas over the latest law, arguing infringement on freedom of speech.

"We can all work to keep minors from accessing adult content, but allowing the government to dictate what information adults can see is unconscionable and unconstitutional," according to Boden.

A statement from the coalition following the recent court decision allowing Texas to uphold the law reads: "Our battle, of course, is just beginning. Unfortunately, we’ve already seen how this designation has been weaponized to censor and ban LGBTQ+ literature, reproductive rights resources, sex education, art, and healthcare. Sexual expression, online and off, has been and continues to be the canary in the coal mine of free speech.

Child safety advocates and state legislators where laws have passed argue that protections are needed to ensure kids are safe online.

A poll from RMG Research shows a majority of Americans support a federal law requiring adult websites that contain sexual content to have some kind of age-verification requirements.

The battles in states across the country could foreshadow what's to come in other states looking at age verification laws.

"After a wave of legislation focused on child online safety swept through state legislatures over the past two years, legal challenges against the new laws are gaining traction in federal courts," reads an article from Tech Policy Press . "But rather than signaling a change in the tide, the lawsuits may ultimately spur a new round of bills that address flaws in those passed in the first wave."

Indiana age-verification bill could be next

Similar legislation in Indiana could become law and possibly lead to Pornhub also disabling access to that state, the difference is, the company may also be held legally liable by minors' parents.

Senate Bill 17 is on its way to Indiana Gov. Gov. Eric Holcomb. and it would, like HB 1181, require "adult-oriented websites" to mandate the verification of its users to make sure they are 18 or older.  

According to Indiana law , harmful materials for minors can include representations of nudity, sexual conduct and sadomasochistic abuse. 

The Indiana bill differs from the Texas law because it allows parents to sue if their children access a pornography site that is "knowingly or intentionally" not utilizing age-verification measures. The minor's parent or guardian can receive up to $5,000 in damages if a court rules in their favor. The attorney general can also sue pornography websites that don't abide by the law, but the civil penalty would be up to $250,000.

Pornhub also disabled access in 2023 in Utah when the state passed its age verification law .

Contributing: Brittany Carloni for the Indianapolis Star, David DeMille for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News

Here are 10 most popular boating locations in Texas and rules to follow

As the weather gets warmer, it could be a good time to rent a boat and enjoy the water. 

According to Get My Boat , Texas has several hot spots for boating. 

Thinking about getting on a boat soon? Here are 10 locations ranked by Get My Boat:

10 most popular boating locations in Texas

• Canyon Lake 
• Lewisville 
• Lake Conroe 
• Little Elm 
• Hickory Creek 
• Grand Prairie 

Do you need a license to drive a boat in Texas?

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife , anyone born on or after September 1, 1993, must complete boater education training. While it’s not required for those born before that date, it’s recommended to take the training. Completion of this training allows a user to operate a vessel powered by a motor of more than 15 horsepower or a windblown vessel over 14 feet in length. 

What are the Texas boating violations?

Texas Parks and Wildlife states that a person guilty of one of the following violations shall be required to successfully complete an approved boater education course and pay a fine.

Those violations are: 

• Any personal watercraft (operating) violation
• Reckless or negligent operation
• Excessive speed
• Reckless operation and excessive speed
• Hazardous wake or wash
• Circular course around any swimmer or occupant of a vessel engaged in water activities
• Interference with markers or ramps
• Obstructing passage
• Operating boats in restricted areas
• Operating vessels in scuba diving or snorkeling areas
• Skiing during illegal hours
• Skiing in a manner that endangers life or property

What boating safety equipment is required?

A game warden or marine safety enforcement officers can pull your boat over to see if your boat is in compliance. If you don’t have the required safety equipment, you could get a stiff fine. 

In the boat, you must have: 

• Personal floating device for all parties on the boat. 
• Fire extinguisher 

Can you have alcohol on the boat?

Open container law does not apply to the passenger area for motorized boating like it does in a vehicle. However, Texas penal code §49.06 mentions that a person who operates a motorized boat while intoxicated has committed an offense. 

Can my driver's license be suspended if I'm arrested for operating a boat while intoxicated?

A person's driver's license will be automatically suspended if the arrested person operates a watercraft powered with an engine having a manufacturer's rating of 50 horsepower or above, according to TPWD. 

Refusal to provide a breath or blood test can also lead to suspension.