After Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1481 on June 20, which requires school districts to prohibit students from using devices such as cellphones and smartwatches on campus during the school day, districts are adopting or amending their policies.

What you need to know

Conroe ISD expanded its policy to address cellphones and other electronic devices, restricting their use in grades pre-K-12 to before or after school. Meanwhile, Willis ISD announced its policy on Facebook on Aug. 1, which prohibits the use of personal communication devices during the school day.

Montgomery ISD maintains its policy adopted in July 2024, which requires students to keep cellphones off during the school day while on campus, per prior reporting.

HB 1481 does provide exceptions for students with medical needs or special education accommodations, and the bill would not apply to devices supplied by school districts for academic purposes.Key players

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath urged state lawmakers to ban student cellphone use in public schools.

“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.