New Texas laws for the 2025-26 school year: Cell phone ban; prayer in schools; DEI
What's in Texas' school funding bill?
Texas House Bill 2 was sent to Governor Abbott's office on Thursday night. Rudy Koski with FOX 7 in Austin breaks down the $8.5 billion package.
HOUSTON - Texas students are heading back to class for the 2025-26 school year, and there are some new laws that will impact them.
Here's a look at the new laws on everything from cell phones to school lunches to religion in schools.
Ban on cell phones and smart devices at school
- Effective immediately
House Bill 1481 requires public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to adopt and implement policies prohibiting students from using a "personal communication device" during school hours.
Schools have to either prohibit students from bringing devices on campus or provide a way for students to store their devices while on school property.
Schools also must have punishments in place for students who are found using the devices.
Ten Commandments in classrooms
- Effective Sept. 1
Senate Bill 10 requires schools to post a "durable poster or framed copy" of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.
The display needs to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall and "in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom."
The bill mandates that schools that do not have posters that meet the requirements to accept donations or use public funds to replace them.
FILE. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Prayer in schools
- Effective Sept. 1
Senate Bill 11 allows Texas public schools to adopt a policy to allow students and employees to participate in a voluntary daily period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts.
Changes to school suspensions
- Effective immediately
House Bill 6 extends how long schools can place students on in-school suspension. Previously, law only allowed for three days. Now the suspension can last as long as schools deem appropriate, with principals required to review the placement every 10 days.
"Repeated and significant" classroom disruption or threats to the health and safety of other children can now be met with out-of-school suspension, in a reversal of prior state laws that limited the punishment's use.
Reporting by the Texas Tribune noted that the out-of-school suspension expansion would enable schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness, as well as students as young as kindergarten through the third grade
The bill also changes punishments for students caught with vapes. Schools previously were required to send such students to alternative education facilities; now, first-time offenders can be given less severe punishments, and alternative education programs can be administered remotely.
Parents can restrict school library materials
- Effective Sept. 1
Senate Bill 13 allows parents to control what materials their children have access to in school libraries. It also establishes an advisory council to aid a district board of trustees in making decisions on material allowed in school libraries.
DEI and sexual orientation teachings
- Effective Sept. 1
Senate Bill 12 bans Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices and restricts teachings about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. It also makes changes to the process for public school transfers and the process for parent complaints with the district.
Personal financial literacy class
- Effective immediately
House Bill 27 requires all students in Texas public high schools to complete a one-half credit course on personal financial literacy.
Food additives banned in school meals
- Effective immediately
Senate Bill 314 bans certain additives from being included in free or reduced-price meals provided by school districts.
Rules for ejecting spectators at UIL events
- Effective immediately
Senate Bill 2929 allows an official at a UIL athletic activity or competition to immediately eject a spectator from the event for inappropriate behavior, without having to give a verbal warning first.
New school funding bill
House Bill 2 provides $8.5 billion in funding for public schools. About half of the money, goes to pay and retention. Other funding goes to early learning programs, school safety, special education, charter facilities funding, rural schools, career and Vo-Technical programs and teacher certification initiatives.
The Source: The information in this article comes from bill texts, press releases from lawmakers and previous reporting by FOX Texas stations.