All students attending public schools in California may be prohibited from using their cellphones within the next couple of years under a bill that passed by the state legislature.
Assembly Bill 3216, also known as the Phone-Free Schools Act, would require school districts to come up with and adopt a policy no later than July 1, 2026 to limit or ban the use of smartphones by students during the school day.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who has previously spoken in favor of limiting cellphone use by students, is expected to sign the bill.
A couple of weeks ago, Newsom sent letters to school districts, urging them to restrict students’ use of smartphones on campus.
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“Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning, and growth,” Newsom said in his letter. “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 had also signed a law in 2019 granting districts the authority to regulate student smartphone access during school hours.
Once the governor signs the bill into law, California would become the fifth state in the country with a cellphone use ban.
Under AB 3216, introduced by Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover of Folsom, students would be required to put their phones in a sealed pouch or lockers during school hours with the exceptions of medical needs or an emergency. Students may have access to their phones if permitted by school officials.
Opponents of the proposal had argued that cellphone bans, which are already in place at many schools, are not always enforced, and students often find ways to bend the rules, like hiding phones on their laps. Some parents have expressed concerns that bans could cut them off from their kids if there is an emergency.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
