New York’s recently passed $254 billion state budget includes a provision requiring school districts to implement a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban. This proposal appears to be in good company, as a half-dozen states enacted legislation restricting cell phones and other electronic devices in schools between April and May of 2025, bringing the number of states with related policies to 15 in total.

Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature made a few changes to the governor’s proposal through the budget process, but the enacted version is largely similar to the original proposal. Beginning in the 2025–26 school year, the finalized policy mandates that all school districts will be required to create policies that prohibit student use of internet-enabled devices throughout the school day, with certain exceptions. The budget also appropriates $13.5 million for school districts to implement the ban. The bill (as in the Executive’s 30-Day Amendments) made these requirements applicable to all school districts, board of cooperative educational services (BOCES), or public charter schools. In the final enacted version, however, charter schools were not included. The final version requires school districts to create a “bell-to-bell” ban, meaning districts must prohibit students’ use of personal internet-enabled devices throughout the entirety of the school day, including noninstructional times like lunch and study halls. The finalized agreement also requires that schools give parents a way to contact students during the school day when necessary. Governor Hochul promoted this policy to help create “distraction-free” schools and to help protect young people’s mental health from the impacts of social media.

Since our last update, more states have enacted similar laws, with several governors signing legislation in April 2025. Arizona’s Governor, Katie Hobbs, signed into law HB 2484 that requires school districts and charter schools to adopt policies limiting the use of “wireless communication devices” throughout the school day, including noninstructional times (though it does not specify what type or degree of restriction is required). West Virginia’s Governor Patrick Morrisey signed into law HB 2003, which prohibits the use of “personal electronic devices” during instructional time and requires county school boards to adopt a policy either allowing or prohibiting personal electronic devices on school property. This law is not a “bell-to-bell” ban but instead allows students to use devices between class periods and during other noninstructional times like lunch periods. Additionally, the West Virginia law includes bans on devices other than cell phones, including headphones, earbuds, and smartwatches. Governor Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota likewise signed into law HB 1160 in April, a bill that requires school boards and governing bodies to implement policies making students’ “personal electronic communication devices”—including cell phones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as tablets, smartwatches, and gaming devices—inaccessible during instructional time. However, the new law does allow districts to choose to implement policies that may either limit or allow students access to devices outside of instructional time. And, as in many other states, this new law includes exemptions for students with medical needs or those with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). This bill further requires that school districts collect data to assess the impact of cellphone policies on student behavior, disciplinary actions, students’ mental health, and other measures. North Dakota’s Legislature and Governor Kelly Armstrong even more recently enacted SB 2354 in May, which restricts students’ personal electronic device usage in private schools. And Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed SB 178 in April, which similarly requires school districts to adopt policies prohibiting the use of cell phones, smartwatches, and other emerging technologies during instructional or “classroom” time, while providing for potential exemptions. Gov. Cox has, however, already stated that while this was an important first step, he felt it didn’t go far enough, and that it was a “mistake” not to go “bell-to-bell.”

Also, this spring, Colorado lawmakers enacted a bill, HB25-1135, that requires each school district and charter school to create a policy around student communication device possession and use, and publicly post these policies on school websites by July 1, 2026. The new law provides exemptions for students with learning and medical accommodations and grants districts significant flexibility in implementing their policies, and does not require policies to be “bell-to-bell.” Colorado’s Attorney General’s Office established a grant program offering schools $50,000 if they create a policy designed to limit cell phone use during the school day.¹ Seven schools have already been awarded their grants. Grant proposals that were awarded included Aurora Public Schools teaching students, educators, and parents about healthy smartphone use and a pilot program for smartphone storage devices. Also, Eastlake High School was awarded a grant to expand and improve existing smartphone storage policies and to increase focus on restorative justice practices.

Other states are actively considering creating statewide school cell phone or electronic/internet-enabled device bans. Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, in his State of the State address, said that he would introduce legislation prohibiting cell phone use during instructional time. He stated that these policies would help students maintain a distraction-free and productive classroom. Wisconsin lawmakers have also introduced legislation that would require local school districts to create their own policies prohibiting cell phone and other electronic device use during instructional time.

Overall, as more states enact policies and practices related to the use of electronic devices in schools, more data will be generated that could help measure the efficiency and effectiveness of these laws and their impacts on students, parents, teachers, and school administrators.

Statewide Ban or Restriction in Effect

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mathilda Scott is a policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute of Government

[1] These funds are the result of a nearly $32 million settlement with Juul, a nicotine vaping product that was found to have targeted children and misrepresented the health risks associated with the product.