Relating to a study by the Department of State Health Services regarding the effects of online activity on children.

HB 4994 requires Texas' Department of State Health Services (DSHS), working with the Texas Education Agency, to study how online activity affects children under 18. The study must define "digital well-being," identify positive outcomes and best practices for safe online engagement, analyze specific activities and content linked to well-being outcomes, and gather feedback from children and parents about harms experienced. DSHS must submit a final report with findings and recommendations to state leaders by December 1, 2027. This bill mandates a research study only - it does not create new laws or funding, and it expires January 1, 2028.