California school districts could soon be required to adopt policies that restrict or prohibit students’ use of smartphones during the school day after a bill passed the state Legislature on Wednesday.
Assembly Bill 3216 received bipartisan support from lawmakers and is now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Earlier in the summer, Newsom announced that he wanted to work with state legislature to restrict students from using smartphones at school.
If the governor signs the bill, school districts will have until July 2026 to develop and adopt a smartphone usage restriction policy for students. The bill also states that the policy must be updated every five years.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the nation, voted to ban cellphone use during the school day in June.
The new rule will take effect in January 2025, though the Los Angeles Times notes the details still need to be “approved in a future meeting by the Board of Education.”
Supporters of the ban say it would lead to less bullying, more meaningful communication among peers and adults and improved learning.
However, according to the L.A. Times, some parents who want their children to have cellphone access for safety and communication reasons are against the ban, while other school officials say it would be difficult to enforce.
The statewide proposal also received some opposition from the California School Boards Association and support from the California Teachers Association and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
The current legislative session ends on Aug. 31 and Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign any bills passed by the Legislature.
