A Texas House lawmaker is proposing banning cellphones and other electronic devices in all Texas public schools.

Bill author Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, said prohibiting students from using cellphones on K-12 campuses would help improve academic outcomes, students’ mental health and classroom management.

“We want our kids to focus on academics, such as math, science and reading, and the reality is, these phones are a distraction. ... Schools cite growing incidents of cyberbullying due to these phones. My generation is more anxious, [more] depressed, less focused and more distracted than ever before,” Fairly told the House Public Education Committee during a March 18 hearing.

Fairly’s proposal, House Bill 1481, was left pending in the committee March 18.

What you need to know


The version of the bill proposed during the hearing would bar students from using cellphones, tablets, smart watches and other personal electronic devices throughout the school day. In addition, school districts would have the option to prohibit these devices during activities before and after school, according to Fairly’s office.

Districts would be required to adopt disciplinary measures for students who violate the policy, although the details of these policies would be up to local officials.

HB 1481 would not apply to devices supplied by school districts for academic purposes. The bill would also allow students to use devices for special education services or medical reasons, Fairly said.

Fairly, a 26-year-old in her first term as a state lawmaker, said she was distracted by cell phones as a student.


“I remember trying to sneak my phone into the high school classroom,” Fairly said. “I think that this bill truly does have the power to fundamentally change the lives and learning experiences of a generation.”

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath has also pushed for cellphones to be removed from public schools, citing concerns about mental health and student learning.

“If it were in my power, I would’ve already banned them in schools in the state,” Morath told state senators during a Sept. 18 hearing. “So I would encourage you to consider that as a matter of public policy going forward for our students and our teachers.”

Zooming in


Ella Sturgeon, a seventh grader in Killeen ISD, said banning electronic devices in Texas public schools would help students develop relationships with their classmates. She told the committee KISD requires students to put phones away during the school day.

“When you walk in the hallways, people no longer bump into you because they are looking up and not on their phones,” Sturgeon said during the hearing. “When you're sitting down at lunch, you can have a conversation with the people sitting next to you. It's also a break from all the drama of social media.”

Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, said cellphones are making it harder for people of all ages to focus on tasks.

“I do believe that these devices are destroying the attention of an entire generation,” Talarico, a former middle school teacher, said. “When you think about learning, attention is really the key—you focus on a topic or a task for a certain amount of time, and we are destroying that ability in young people and adults, too.”


More details

School districts across Texas have recently banned cell phones or limited when students can use them. Some school administrators say banning or limiting cellphones helps minimize distractions in classrooms, reduce disciplinary problems, boost student achievement and prevent bullying.

The following school districts in Community Impact's coverage area across Texas have recently updated their electronic device policies:Next steps

If the committee approves Fairly’s bill during a future committee hearing, it will head to the House floor. Seventy-nine House members from both political parties are listed as co-authors on HB 1481. A bill needs 76 votes to be passed out of the House.


State Sens. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, and Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, have introduced bills that would restrict the use of electronic devices in public schools. Senate Bill 1459, by Campbell, is similar to Fairly’s and aims to prohibit students from using cellphones throughout the school day.

Creighton’s Senate Bill 2365 would prohibit students from using personal devices during classroom instructional time.

During the September hearing, Campbell said lawmakers “will make an attempt” to ban cellphones in the classroom but noted device policies are often more successful when tailored to a local school district.

“Everything doesn’t take legislation,” Campbell said Sept. 18. “It takes leadership.”