Texas House bill by Rep. Fairly requires schools to restrict personal wireless devices during class

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Caroline Fairly seeks to establish policies for Texas school districts and charter schools to restrict student use of personal wireless communication devices during instructional time, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 56 Democrats and 72 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while four Democrats and 13 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Caroline Fairly introduced the bill in the Texas House on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Fairly graduated from Abilene Christian University with a BA.

Fairly, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 87th House district, replacing previous state representative Four Price.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to school district and open-enrollment charter school policies regarding student use of personal communication devices’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill requires school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas to adopt policies prohibiting students from using personal wireless communication devices during instructional time. The term “personal wireless communication device” includes cellular phones, text messaging devices, laptops, and tablets, except those provided by the school for instructional purposes. The policies must ensure that classrooms designate a secure, out-of-sight area for storing these devices during instructional periods. The act will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both legislative houses; otherwise, it will become effective on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Brooks Landgraf (Republican – District 81), Rep. Erin Gamez (Democrat – District 38), and Rep. Jeff Leach (Republican – District 67), along with 83 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Sunday, May 25, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.