New Texas law punishes students caught vaping in school
Editor's Note: The video in this story shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 31, 2023
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) --- A new Texas law will increase punishments for students vaping on school campuses.
House Bill 114 will go into effect Sept. 1.
It requires students caught with vapes at the school to be placed in an alternative schooling environment, or Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP).
Dripping Springs Independent School District is one of the districts that recently updated its 2023-24 student code of conduct to reflect this change.
According to the DSISD student code of conduct, a student must be placed in a DAEP if they:
- Sell, give or deliver an e-cigarette to another person
- Possess or use an e-cigarette themselves
If the DAEP is full, a student can be placed in in-school suspension until space is available to transfer them. That rule also applies to students with marijuana, THC or alcohol.
'It's a lot'
Previously, Hays Consolidated Independent School District told KXAN vaping has been an issue at its campuses.
“If it’s not every day, it’s probably every couple of days. It’s a lot,” Hays CISD spokesperson Tim Savoy said.
Savoy said students will sometimes go in the bathroom and vape. He said, as a result, there are moments when normally open restrooms are closed to address vaping.
"The fire alarms sometimes get triggered by those vape pens, because our fire alarms are super sensitive," he said.
KXAN's Sarah Al-Shaikh will have more on this story. You can watch on KXAN News at 6 p.m.