Texas governor signs sweeping education bills, banning phones and mandating Ten Commandments in classrooms

Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, signed more than 300 bills into law June 20, including two major education measures that ban student cell phone use during school hours and require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. 

“Texas is focused on becoming #1 in education,” Abbott wrote on X.“ I signed a law to prohibit cell phone usage in Texas public schools during the school day. Texas will continue to support productive learning environments by eliminating unnecessary distractions.”

House Bill 1481, which passed the Texas House 128-17 and cleared the Senate unanimously, gives districts 90 days to adopt policies banning personal communication devices — including phones, tablets, smartwatches, radios, and pagers — while students are on campus.

Exceptions are allowed for medical needs, school-issued devices, and safety protocols. Schools may either require secure storage of devices or prohibit them outright.

Alongside the phone ban, Abbott signed the Texas Ten Commandments Law, requiring every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments starting September 1. 

CatholicVote praised the move on X, calling it a “bold step to restore moral foundations.” 

The mandate, however, is likely to face legal challenges. A nearly identical Louisiana law was struck down June 20 by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, setting up what could become a high-profile legal battle.

The measures build on Abbott’s broader education agenda this year. 

In May, he signed a sweeping school choice bill into law, directing $1 billion in taxpayer funds to help parents pursue private schooling, homeschooling, and other alternatives to public education.

As CatholicVote previously reported, the school choice movement is surging beyond Texas, as more than 30 states have embraced various school choice measures since 2021.

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