(The Center Square) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ceremonially signed two bills into law coauthored by freshman state Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo, designed to expand protections for children and improve education outcomes in public schools.
The laws prohibit personal communication devices in classrooms, including cell phones, smart watches, tablets and other devices, putting “parents in charge of apps on their child’s phone. Kids should be learning, not scrolling,” Abbott said.
Fairly, a freshman and youngest member of the Texas House, said she was honored that Abbott was in Amarillo “to sign two of my bills into law – the App Store Accountability Act and Phone-Free Schools. Proud to see Texas leading the way for parents, kids and classrooms!”
The bill signing was held in Fairly’s district in Amarillo, attended by House Speaker Dustin Burrows, Acting Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Kelly Hancock, state Reps. Fairly, Brad Buckley and Jared Patterson, Amarillo Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Deidre Parish, Amarillo High School teacher Mellessa Denny and other state and local officials.
Abbott signed SB 2420, filed by state Sen. Angela Paxton and Fairly, known as the App Store Accountability Act. It requires application (app) stores to verify a user’s age when creating an account. It requires parental consent for minors, including tying a minor’s account to their parent’s account, and requiring consent for a minor to download or purchase an app or make in-app purchases.
It amends current law related “to the regulation of platforms for the sale and distribution of software applications for mobile devices.” It also requires app developers to provide information about the app’s rating and the reasoning for its rating. “App stores have touted that they already employ age verification, so this simply provides additional framework, transparency, and enforcement to protect the children of Texas,” the bill analysis states.
“Parents – not tech companies – know what’s best for their child. We will always put Texas kids and Texas parents first,” Abbott said.
The bill passed with strong bipartisan support in the House and nearly unanimously in the Senate. Abbott signed it into law in May.
He also ceremonially signed HB 1481, filed by Fairly and state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, which bans a range of electronic devices from being used in public school classrooms and open-enrollment charters schools.
It requires schools to adopt polices prohibiting students from using personal communication devices during the school day. Personal communication devices include cell phones, tablets, smart watches, radios, pagers and “any other electronic device capable of telecommunication or digital communication.”
The polices must either prohibit personal devices on school property or provide a designated storage area for devices during the school day. It also requires the schools to adopt disciplinary measures for noncompliance.
The bill passed with strong bipartisan support in the House and unanimously in the Senate. Abbott signed it into law in June. Because of its overwhelming support, it became effective June 20.
“Educators and researchers have raised concerns about the impact that smartphones have on student learning and student engagement,” Abbott said. “Experts have explained that smartphones and social media affect the mental health of children. If we are going to be number one in education, it is going to require the undivided attention of our students in the classroom.”
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Fairly argues “the increasing presence of personal devices in Texas schools poses concerns about their impact on student learning, safety, mental health, and overall school environment.” She filed the bill “to mitigate the negative effects of a student’s use of personal communication devices … to prohibit different types of personal communication devices, including cell phones, in order to create a more focused, engaging, and safe learning environment for students.”
Florida, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, and Louisiana have already enacted laws restricting cell phone use in public schools.