SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free Schools Act, that requires every school district, charter school and county office of education in the state to develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones during school hours. The law goes into effect July 1, 2026.
The governor’s signing of the bill comes as no surprise. In 2019, he signed AB 272 into law, which specified that school districts had the authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours. In June of this year, Newsom announced he wanted to restrict students’ cell phone usage.
Related Article: Georgia School District Tries to Reduce Cell Phone Use on Campus
Supporters of the legislation say cell phone usage by students during the school day is a distraction, keeping children from focusing on their studies. They also say that smartphones negatively impact student mental health and social development, contributing to academic dishonesty and cyberbullying.
California’s new law is flexible. Schools can’t prevent a student from having a smartphone if a doctor says they need it for health-related reasons. Additionally, some students in individualized education programs may be allowed to bypass the restrictions. During emergencies, students will be allowed to access their cell phones, however, districts can determine what scenarios they deem to be a emergencies and how the smartphones can be used.
Other states that have already restricted or banned cell phone usage on K-12 campuses include Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, and South Carolina. To read about the specifics of the legislation in these states, as well as the policies being implement in some other school districts, CLICK HERE.
TEA Commissioner Morath Wants Texas to Have Similar Cell Phone Restrictions
School smartphone bans or restrictions are also increasingly being supported in Texas. On Wednesday, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath encouraged lawmakers to implement a ban in public schools across the state, reports the Texas Tribune.
On Wednesday, State Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio appeared to be open to the suggestion, and State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, commended several school districts that have already put restrictions on smartphones.
The passage of California’s new law comes as K-12 school districts across the nation have seen the rate of school shooting threats significantly increase on social media after the Apalachee High School mass shooting, which resulted in two teachers and two students losing their lives.
