February 5, 2026
Under the parameters of the bill, School districts will have the authority to determine how the policy is enforced.
On Jan. 28, the Georgia House proposed a bill to ban the use of cellphones in public high schools.
Legislation to restrict cellphone use in Georgia public high schools has advanced in the state legislature and has been filed with the Georgia General Assembly, according to reporting by WABE.
The proposal, House Bill 1009, would require local school districts to adopt policies limiting student access to personal electronic devices during the instructional day at public high schools. The bill follows earlier legislation that addressed cellphone use in elementary and middle schools, according to the bill language posted on the General Assembly’s website.
According to WABE, House Bill 1009 moved forward after clearing a legislative committee. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Scott Hilton, a Republican from Peachtree Corners. Under the bill’s parameters, School districts will have the authority to determine how the policy is enforced. Rep. Hilton said the bill is popular amongst educators and other education professionals.
“The response we got back was overwhelming from teachers, administrators, and, really, more importantly, parents, who loved the idea and wanted to see us expand it to high school,” Hilton said.
The bill’s text states that local boards of education would be responsible for adopting and implementing rules governing the possession and use of personal electronic devices by high school students. The legislation does not specify penalties for violations, leaving enforcement decisions to individual school systems.
During the discussion of the bill, lawmakers raised questions about implementation, including how schools would manage emergencies and extracurricular activities. The article reported that the proposal is part of a broader legislative effort to reduce distractions in classrooms. Hilton says that though there will be bumps in the road, the change will be well worth the initial implementation hassle.
“It’s an adjustment, you know, and at first, it’s like any culture change,” he said. “It’s gonna take an adapting, but the benefits far outweigh the pain of that change,” Hilton said.
House Bill 340 has not yet passed and remains under consideration in the Georgia General Assembly, where it must undergo additional committee review and votes before it can be sent to Gov. Kemp for final consideration. If the bill reaches the governor’s desk, it is likely to pass, as Gov. Kemp did not hesitate to sign a similar middle school device ban into law.
RELATED CONTENT: Earl Graves Sr. Had Something To Say: Cellphones, Text Messages, And Social Media Have Devalued Personal Communication
