Latest news with #HB1481
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
In a first, this US state just shocked parents and students with drastic school rule. Exceptions revealed
Texas bans cellphones in schools Live Events Which US states have banned phones in schools? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Starting on September 1, a new law in Texas will ban students from using cellphones and other personal communication devices during school hours. Governor Greg Abott has signed a new law that requires all cellphones and other personal communication devices like smart watches to be in a secure, out-of-sight storage area during the school day, reports Fox the new law, Texas has become the first US state to impose a statewide mandatory ban on student cellphone use in public and charter schools, affecting more than 5 million governor signed the House Bill 1481 into law over the weekend which states that all school districts must prohibit the use of personal communication devices during school hours in Texas. Under the new law, the school must either prohibit students from bringing devices on campus or provide a way for the student to store the device while on school property. The law also requires schools to give punishments for students who are found using the devices in must either ban devices entirely from school grounds or require students to secure them in lockers, backpacks, or magnetically locked pouches. Devices such as cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, radio devices, paging devices, or any other electronic devices "capable of telecommunication or digital communication" have been included in the list, barring the devices provided by the school. Districts have 90 days from the law's effect to adopt and enforce are also in place for devices needed for an education program. If a student has a doctor's role or if it is necessary to comply with health or safety requirements or the school's safety protocols.'The passage of HB 1481 marks an important step toward restoring focus and connection in our classrooms,' State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo shared in a statement on Monday.'By creating a phone-free environment, we're giving teachers the tools to teach without disruption and students the space to learn, think critically, and engage with one another face-to-face," Fairly said."This bill puts education, not screen time, at the centre of the school day. I anticipate not only seeing major jumps in GPA's and test scores, but improvements in mental health and social wellbeing as well," Fairly from Texas, Virginia has also joined the list, with Governor Glenn Youngkin signing a bill that requires "bell-to-bell" cell phone-free classrooms across Virginia's public K–12 schools. It joins 13 other states that have statewide bans or restrictions on phone usage throughout the school day, reports Newsweek.A total of 14 states in US have active laws or executive orders that ban or restrict the usage of cell phones in schools:AlabamaFloridaGeorgiaIndianaKentuckyLouisianaNew YorkNorth DakotaOklahomaSouth CarolinaTennesseeUtahVirginiaWest VirginiaOther states, including California, Oregon, and Washington have guidelines in place for school districts about limiting the use of phones by students during education hours. Other states such as Pennsylvania, Delaware and Arkansas have not issued a similar order but are actively encouraging school districts through funding mechanisms to adopt policies that result less phone however, may be implementing a more thorough ban soon. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year announced a bill that would ban smartphones and other personal electronic devices like smart watches from every single public school in the state, citing "unrestricted access to smartphones and social media" as a cause of worsening mental health in young people.
India Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Cellphones banned across Texas schools to curb screen addiction, 5 million affected
Texas has become the first US state to impose a statewide mandatory ban on student cellphone use in public and charter schools, affecting more than 5 million students. Under House Bill 1481, all school districts must prohibit the use of personal communication devices during school must either ban devices entirely from school grounds or require students to secure them in lockers, backpacks, or magnetically locked pouches. Devices covered include smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, pagers, and similar gadgets, though those provided by schools are have 90 days from the law's effect to adopt and enforce policies. The bill, authored by State Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, was pitched as a means to boost young Texans' mental health.'The passage of HB 1481 marks an important step toward restoring focus and connection in our classrooms,' Fairly shared in a statement on Monday.'By creating a phone-free environment, we're giving teachers the tools to teach without disruption and students the space to learn, think critically, and engage with one another face-to-face," Fairly said."This bill puts education, not screen time, at the centre of the school day. I anticipate not only seeing major jumps in GPA's and test scores, but improvements in mental health and social wellbeing as well," Fairly FOCUS, MENTAL HEALTH AND BULLYINGProponents argue the ban is crucial to reclaim classroom focus and reduce screen-related mental health Representative Ellen Troxclair noted that excessive smartphone use has been tied to rising teen suicide rates, and students now receive over 20 notifications per hour in and educators alike have found that devices hamper attention and engagement.A Houston Chronicle editorial reported that schools using secure storage saw a 75% reduction in bullying incidents and a 13-point rise in test FOR MEDICAL AND SAFETY NEEDSThe law sets out clear exemptions for students who require devices for medical reasons or special education needs, provided these are supported by a physician's and some parents raised concerns about emergency communication, particularly recalling the tragic 2022 Uvalde shooting, where trapped pupils used phones to call for lawmakers addressed this by requiring that phones remain accessible in emergencies -- even if locked away during districts, such as Richardson ISD, report a marked improvement in teacher engagement, with 85% of educators agreeing that classroom time was reclaimed once phones were removed. Others, like Grandview ISD, employed locked pouches and witnessed students becoming more present and socially engaged during the school joins at least nine other states, including California and Arkansas, in moving to limit in-class cellphone use. With mounting evidence linking smartphone dependency to classroom disruption, states are embracing stricter districts fine-tune rules and tackle practicalities, Texas's bold step is likely to influence education policy elsewhere. The challenge now is to ensure smooth implementation without compromising student safety. Teachers, students, and parents will be watching closely as the new academic year begins.- Ends
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas House takes first step towards banning cellphones in public classrooms
The Brief The Texas House passed HB 1481 on Wednesday. The bill would require cell phones in classrooms to be placed in a secure, out-of-sight area during instruction times. The bill will now head to the Senate. AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas House on Wednesday advanced a bill that would require a secure, out-of-sight area to keep phones during instructional times. House Bill 1481 sailed through the House on Wednesday on a 136-10 vote. Amarillo Republican Rep. Caroline Fairly, the bill's author, said restricting cellphones in classrooms can lead to higher test scores and help teachers better manage their classrooms while improving mental health in students. "We are targeting being sure that our kids go to school to focus on academics, but we also protect them," Fairly said on a recent episode of Texas: The Issue Is. "You know, the amount of cyberbullying that's being cited in these schools is it's gone up so much more." Around 20 or 25 school districts already have a ban on cellphones in classrooms, according to Fairly. She said the bill allows for individual school districts to determine the proper consequences for not following the rule. The other side Opponents of taking away cellphones from students worry about communication with their child in the event of an emergency. Fairly has previously suggested that kids on their phones during an emergency like a school shooting could make them targets because they're making noise. What's next The bill now heads to the Senate where it can be debated in committee and voted to the Senate floor for debate. The Source Information on House Bill 1481 passing comes from the Texas Legislature. Previous comments from Rep. Fairly come from an interview with FOX 4's Steven Dial on Texas: The Issue is on March 23, 2025.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas bill would ban phones from classrooms
The Brief HB 1481 would ban cell phones from Texas public school classrooms. State Rep. Caroline Fairly believes it will help test scores and help combat bullying. The bill is currently in committee. There is a bipartisan bill in the Texas House that would ban all cell phones in public school classrooms. HB 1481, co-authored by State Rep. Caroline Fairly (R-Amarillo), is currently in the House Public Education Committee. The bill would require classrooms to designate a secure, out-of-sight area to keep phones during instructional times. FOX 4's Steven Dial talked to Fairley about the bill and the impact it could have on schools. What they're saying State Rep. Caroline Fairly: "We have heard from so many teachers who have said, you know, we need the state to kind of have our back on this issue because we're in the classroom picking up phones and ending up being the bad guy when it comes to this policy." FOX 4's Steven Dial: "Why do you think it's so important to to restrict cell phone access in the classroom?" Fairly: "There's really three critical issues that are really important when you look at this piece of legislation. First is the student academic outcome. Second is the mental health aspect. And then third is classroom management for our teachers. When you look at all of those across the board, we are targeting being sure that our kids go to school to focus on academics, but we also protect them. You know, the amount of cyberbullying that's being cited in these schools is it's gone up so much more." Dial: "Some North Texas school districts have implemented or are testing out a cellphone ban. How can the enforcement happen if this becomes law?" Fairly: "We've been really careful with our legislation to allow for as much local control as possible. I think it's really important to address this. And so you're right, about 20, 25 school districts, to my knowledge, have already started implementing this and they're seeing test scores increase. They're seeing student interactions with the teachers and even other peers is going way better than it was before. But when you talk about enforcement, the reality is, we've allowed in the bill for the school to adopt their own disciplinary policy. And so again, it's back to local control, like we want the school districts to make the best disciplinary policy they see fit." Dial: "I know it's a rare word in Austin: bipartisan. This bill has bipartisansupport. Can you just talk about why so many lawmakers are saying, hey, we're at a point where this is something that's needed." Fairly: "When you talk about policy and even politics in Texas, we tend to sometimes see polarization on two different sides and there's a lot of middle ground policy that both parties agree on. I'm encouraged that this is one of them. We have a wide variety of members who have co-authored this bill and I think it's because on both sides, both parties are realizing whether it's the mental health component, whether it's the classroom management, the teachers need support from the state, and also student academic outcomes, both parties agree. I think for the most part, that we want our kids to have the best education in Texas. The 5.5 million kids we have in Texas, we want it to be good." Dial: "What would your pushback be to a parent who says, I want to be able to contact my child in the event there's an emergency going on?" Fairly: "When you talk about school shooters, most officers that are experts in this field, we spent a lot of time talking to them. They would say we would suggest that the last thing you want is probably a kid on their phone during a school shooting. Yesterday in testimony, we had a lot of people talk about, even from a parental perspective, that it's as much of an emotional issue, that you want your kid and immediately to talk to them. When you think about a school shooter, as horrible as that is, when 30 7th graders are on the phone calling 911, videotaping, they're creating noise, which is a target for the shooter. So I think that we just have to be mindful of how we address this, because it is important. I'm encouraged that we have another really big priority bill that addresses school shooting. My bill is more about phones being up and away, but there's another piece of legislation that is about schools adopting policy so that next time, if there's a school shooter, we have a plan and process in place." Dial: "Is there a state funding component to this?" Fairly: "We have been really mindful. It is very important to me to not have unfunded mandates. I mean, I live in a rural part of Texas, and so there's a lot of issues where bills are passed, and they're not funded, and it's not fair to put that burden on our school districts. So I've been working really closely with Chair of Appropriations to be sure that if we need to allot for some funding, it will be there to be sure if schools want the option to purchase a pouch, that there's some funding provided for them to do that, because, again, this is about allowing school districts to adopt the policy that they see fit for the funds to be up, in a way. Texas is so diverse. I mean, so diverse. I represent a rural district, but when you look at your urban areas, there's thousands of kids that attend school versus mine, maybe a few hundred and so there will be funding provided. If we see that, there's a need to be sure that we do support these school districts. It's really important that we do keep that a priority." You can watch Texas: The Issue Is on FOX on Sunday nights or anytime on FOX LOCAL. The Source Information in this article comes from FOX 4's interview with State Rep. Caroline Fairly (R-Amarillo).
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers looking to ban cellphones in Texas classrooms
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Tuesday, the Texas House Committee on Public Education first laid out State Rep. Caroline Fairly's, R-Amarillo, House Bill 1481 — banning cellphones in school during instructional hours. Despite being left pending in committee, the bill has broad bipartisan support, with over half the Texas House listed as co-authors. '[For] the generation I'm in it's very real, it's here, it's now,' Fairly said. At 26, Fairly is the youngest Republican woman in the history of the Texas House. 'The reality is our generation is more depressed, anxious, less focused and more distracted than ever before,' she said. HB 1481 simply requires school districts to 'adopt policies prohibiting students from usingpersonal wireless communication devices during instructional time,' and to 'designate a secure, out-of-sight area for the storage of personal wireless communication devices.' All other aspects of the bill, including the punishment for students violating the phone-free policy, would be up to the districts. For some, that's still too much overreach from the state government. 'I'm a mom of three kids, two of them have cellphones, they're an absolute problem,' Tarrant County GOP Precinct Chair Hollie Plemons said during public testimony on Tuesday. 'But this is something that needs to be handled locally.' However, Fairly believes this bill would take pressure off the teachers as students would blame the state government for new policies. 'The amount of reinforcement we have gotten back from school teachers, ISD members, who have said 'we need help on this. The teachers are [treated as] the bad guys, they don't want to come back to school and teach because they're used to taking away phones,'' she said. 'This is a practical way for us to come in and support our teachers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
