Pennsylvania lawmakers pass bell-to-bell cellphone ban for schools, send to Shapiro for signature

Pennsylvania state lawmakers have passed a "bell-to-bell" ban on students using cellphones in schools. 

The bill requires schools to adopt policies prohibiting student cellphone use during the school day. It allows school districts to set their own policies and applies to school districts, intermediate units, career and technical schools, private schools, charter schools and cyber charter schools. 

The bill now goes to Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, to sign into law. Shapiro expressed support for the legislation Wednesday on social media.

"I called for this in my Budget Address and repeatedly urged the legislature to act — and now, we've brought Democrats and Republicans together to get this done for our students and our educators," his post said in part.  

State Sen. Devlin Robinson, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said in a statement, "Teachers should not have to compete with smartphones for their students' attention, and kids should be able to get through the school day without the constant pressure of social media and notifications."

The bill allows exceptions for a handful of reasons, including:

• Students or immediate family members with certain medical conditions.
• Students learning English who use a phone for translation.
• Special occasions such as field days and science fairs.
• Students with individualized education plans who need a personal device. 

Teachers who want to use phones for educational purposes may be able to do so with approval from their principals.

Under the bill, the "school day" includes instructional time as well as recess, homeroom, lunch and time between classes.

The Pennsylvania State Education Association, a teachers union, praised the bill in a statement.

"This bill takes an essential step toward reducing distractions for students during class time and keeping lessons and teaching on track. We are confident that this change to the school day will have a positive impact on student behavior, academic performance, and mental health," Aaron Chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said in the statement. 

If the bill is signed into law, Pennsylvania will join 40 states that already restrict cellphone use in schools, including 19 that have bell-to-bell bans. Pennsylvania schools would be required to implement policies by the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year.