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 teachers shouldn't have to compete with smartphones.

"I'm a big proponent that while you're in school, it should be dedicated to reading, writing and arithmetic," Robinson said. "School is really, let's call it what it is, yes, you're supposed to be learning, but this is practice for the real world. We're trying to make good citizens who are going to enter the workforce and become productive members of society. And if we allow them to just be distracted by their cellphones all day while they're supposed to be learning, it's counterproductive to those goals."  

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. 

PA Unplugged has been one of the leading advocacy groups for this law. The nonpartisan coalition of parents, caregivers, educators, medical providers, and mental health professionals has been meeting with legislators, testifying before the education committees and volunteering their time over the past year and a half to push for this law.

"Students are bombarded with notifications all day long. This constant access also opens the door to social media, gambling apps, and cyberbullying during the school day," said Kristen Beddard, co-lead of PA Unplugged.  

Alex Becker, a parent of two children in Delaware County who's part of PA Unplugged, said she supports the bill. 

"Just the presence of having a phone in a pocket or on a desk actually reduces cognitive capacity," Becker said. 

Some people who spoke to CBS News Philadelphia on Thursday had concerns about the ban. 

"No, I am not in support of that because emergencies come up. You never know if the kids needs to get in touch with the parent or the parent needs to get in touch with that child, whatever time it is," Angela Burns said. 

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.