California school districts would be required to restrict student cell phone use under bill passed by Legislature

California legislators on Wednesday passed a bill that would require school districts to implement a series of restrictions on students' cell phone usage during the school day. 

The bipartisan bill, the Phone-Free Schools Act, gives districts until July 1, 2026, "to develop and adopt ... a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a schoolsite or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school." Districts would be required to update their policies every five years.

The legislation also includes a newly added amendment that would allow districts to use "enforcement mechanisms" that limit students' access to their phones. 

Republican Assembly member Josh Hoover of Folsom introduced the bill alongside Democratic Assembly members David Alvarez of Chula Vista, Josh Lowenthal of Long Beach and Al Muratsuchi of Torrance. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is expected to sign it. Newsom previously urged educators to restrict phone use in the classroom and called for a statewide cell phone ban on public school campuses.

"Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning, and growth. Working together, educators, administrators, and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions on the phones and pressures of social media," Newsom wrote in a letter at the time.

If signed, California would become the fifth state in the nation to enact such a law. 

Why ban smartphones? 

In addressing the motivation behind the legislation, Assembly Bill 3216 refers to "growing evidence that unrestricted use of smartphones by pupils at elementary and secondary schools during the schoolday interferes with the educational mission of the schools, lowers pupil performance, particularly among low-achieving pupils, promotes cyberbullying, and contributes to an increase in teenage anxiety, depression, and suicide."

The bill also cites similar restrictions instituted overseas, including decisions made in Spain and France that legislators say led to test scores increases and a decrease in bullying. 

The bill states that cell phone restrictions would not be in effect in times of emergency, if there is a perceived threat of danger or if students are granted access by school staff. It also notes that districts will not be authorized to monitor, collect or access any information regarding a student's online activities. 

Some students may receive an exception to school policy depending on whether or not a licensed physician or surgeon determines it is necessary for their well-being. 

Just months ago, Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest district in the nation, passed its own ban on phone use during the school day. It also cited data that alluded to the negative impact that phones can have on a student's mental health and education.