A new Texas law is banning cell phones and other tech communications devices starting this fall. House Bill 1481 requires districts and open-enrollment charters to bar student use of personal devices from the first bell to the last. The bill passed with bipartisan support.
The Texas Education Agency’s guidance spells out how the new law works: mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets and other personal communication devices must be stowed away during the school day. There are exceptions for students with documented medical needs, special-education plans or safety protocols. TEA is also offering grants to help campuses buy storage pouches or lockers.
While the law responds to mounting worries about distraction, attention, and mental health, it arrives amid uneven community sentiment. Some North Texas students have already organized petitions; administrators from Austin to San Antonio are writing rules that range from backpack storage to full-day bans that include hallways and lunch. In Bexar County, major districts including SAISD and Northside have moved to prohibit devices throughout the school day.
Advocates like Maurine Molak, co-founder of David’s Legacy Foundation, says the change is overdue. After her son David died by suicide in 2016 following sustained cyberbullying, Molak was a persistent voice at the Capitol, first helping pass “David’s Law” in 2017 to expand schools’ responsibility to address cyberbullying beyond campus, and now pushing lawmakers to reduce the digital noise inside classrooms themselves. “This will ensure our students are focused on learning and not distracted for six to seven hours a day,” she told senators this spring.
Molak’s argument connects safety, well-being, and instruction. In hearings, she and other parents described phones as a constant interruption that complicates teaching and amplifies bullying dynamics. HB 1481 doesn’t outlaw possession; it mandates phone-free learning time and leaves room for district-issued devices and classroom tech. That framing helped broaden support across the aisle and among superintendents wary of one-size-fits-all mandates.
Critics worry about student-parent communication and inconsistent enforcement. The coming weeks will test whether the policy as intended will work.
Guest: Maurine Molak is the founder of David’s Legacy Foundation .
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This interview will air live on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
