State Representative Lois Kolkhorst and Representative Cindy Burkett co-authored HB101 and HB102, which would prohibit the use of the RFID technology to track students, allow parents to opt out of a tracking program, keeping school districts from punishing students who will not participate. Kolkhorst, who has introduced such bills in the past four legislative sessions, has now been joined by state Senator Craig Estes.

According to Estes, who filed SB173, which also would prohibit RFID technology in schools, in response to Northside Independent School District’s (NISD) use of RFID technology. NISD is currently the defendant in a federal suit brought by high school student, Andrea Hernandez, who refused to wear a student ID badge outfitted with an RFID chip inside it, saying it violates her religious beliefs.

“It first came to my attention when I heard about the court case and my first reaction was, ‘You gotta be kidding me,’” Estes said. “This RFID technology is very impressive when it comes to tracking cattle or products in a retail supply chain, but children aren’t products or cattle.”

State funding for schools is based on attendance, and officials use the ID badges to ensure all students in the building get counted. Kolkhorst said she thinks the legislature needs to debate the appropriateness of that use, which she hopes will happen, now that NISD’s pilot program has drawn scrutiny. “I am concerned that this technology can be very dehumanizing,” Kolkhorst said. “I really don’t like how parents don’t have much input and think it is an example of government overstepping its bounds.”