BRAZOS VALLEY, Texas (KBTX) – A new state law banning students from bringing ‘personal communication devices’ such as cell phones will take effect at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
House Bill 1481 was passed during the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June. The bill was authored by Representative Caroline Fairly of Amarillo, the only Gen Z member of the body.
Under the law, ‘personal communication devices,’ including cell phones, tablets, headphones with Bluetooth connectivity, smart watches, and fitness trackers are banned.
“English, math, science- those types of classes- you really don’t need your cell phone. You know, you need to be on your laptop or you need to be opening your book,” Bryan ISD educator Quinton Samuels explained.
An exception is made for school-issued laptops and if a student requires use of a device for medical reasons.
The state did not provide additional funding in HB 1481 for school districts, and left the enforcement of the law up to individual districts.
With specific policies left up to district leaders, Madisonville CISD sent a letter to parents that informed parents about the new law and how the district planned to address it.
According to the Madisonville High School website, students will be required to keep their phones on airplane mode and in their bags throughout the entire school day.
Superintendent Keith West told KBTX it will be ‘actively’ working to ensure their policy is in compliance with the requirements of House Bill 1481.
His full statement can be found below.
Texas Representative Trey Wharton, whose district oversees Robertson County and parts of Brazos County, used to serve on the Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees.
Drawing from his own experience, Rep. Wharton told KBTX banning cell phones in class is a decision his board had wanted to see the state make.
“Everything has gone down so much since phones have been so prevalent in the classroom for several years now, and I think now is the time to go okay, look, this is an opportunity to take care of this,” said Rep. Wharton.
At the time of publishing, Bryan, College Station, and Navasota ISDs were waiting for board approval on their recently crafted policies. They chose not to comment until their own policies are made official.
Calvert ISD asked for parents to give their input at a public meeting set to take place July 17 at 5 p.m. in the Calvert ISD cafeteria.
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