Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law making all 5.3 million K12 students eligible for private school vouchers, allocating $1 billion over two years to fund the program. Supporters say it empowers parents, while critics argue it favors wealthier families.

Nordic country is latest to act amid evidence of impact on young people, including attention and self-esteem.

Abbott has already said that he plans to sign Senate Bill 2, a $1 billion proposal allowing families to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children's private school education. Upon his signature, the program will officially launch at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children's private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding.

Schools around the world have implemented phone bans. The guiding principle everywhere has been to help students do better in school. But studies have shown these bans often don't work as planned.

Texas Republicans pushing for vouchers often note that the state's public schools receive more than $15,000 per student. But that doesn't account for inflation or reflect the money districts can actually use.

If House Bill 187 becomes law, the moment of silence would not be for a set amount of time and could be done at any time in the day.

The university will also make schooling completely free for students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less, with financial aid that covers tuition, food, housing, health insurance and travel costs.