AUSTIN, Texas — A new bill filed this legislative session is aiming to ban all cell phone use in Texas public schools.
State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway) filled House Bill 515, which would require students to put their phones in lockable containers from the start of the school day until they leave to go home.
“While you’re at school, your time and attention should be focused on the teacher, I think this is really basic common sense,” Troxclair said.
Troxclair’s goal with the bill is to decrease mental health issues stemming from kids spending more than five hours each day on social media.
“We have a mental health crisis in this country,” Troxclair said. “We have kids that are committing suicide, experiencing anxiety and depression and self-harm at record rates.”
At the moment, HB 515 does not come with any funding, so Troxclair says it will be up to the individual districts to decide how they will enforce it.
“Whether that is in a locker or something as simple as a manila envelope or something as sophisticated as a neoprene locking pouch … the important thing is that it’s out of sight, out of mind,” Troxclair said.
Troxclair said she is currently working on setting aside a specific portion of money from the more than $100 million in proposed funding for public schools this session, to make sure school districts can invest in this.
Several school districts across the state are already practicing some version of this, including Lake Travis ISD in Central Texas.
Students in Cypress Fairbanks ISD, near Houston, are in their second year of having to put their phones in a bin at the front of the classroom. Susan Doyle, a parent of two high school students in Cypress Fairbanks ISD who struggle with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, says this bill is concerning for her.
“If my kids get into a mental health crisis, it could be extremely life changing,” Doyle said. “Because they can’t reach out to somebody that they feel is safe at the school.”
Other parents have had strong reactions to the bill, both for and against it. Some praise the bill for getting rid of phones, which have become a dangerous distraction in school, while others worry about being able to reach their kids in emergencies.
Troxclair says student safety is her priority, so to her, that means eliminating those devices from classrooms.
“Cell phones do not make kids more safe, in fact we know that there is a 100% chance that they are more likely to experience anxiety, depression and suicide being on their phones,” Troxclair said.
Under Troxclair’s bill, some students would be able to access their phones during the day if they have a note from a medical professional.
HB 515 was referred to the House Public Education Committee, but there’s no word yet on if it will get a hearing. Troxclair feels confident she’ll have enough bipartisan support from both chambers to land it on the governor’s desk.