CA passes bill requiring schools to devise plan to ban or limit phones during the school day

The California legislature passed a bill this week requiring all public schools to come up with a plan to limit or ban phones during the school day, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign it into law.

The Phone-Free Schools Act, introduced by Assemblyman Josh Hoover, would give the state's public schools until July 2026 to come up with a plan to implement a ban or other limits on smart phones.

Schools, for example, could require students to put phones in a locker or sealed pouched during school hours. The bill, however, does include some exceptions.

Schools would not be able to stop students from using their phones in certain circumstances, such as a medical necessity or emergency.

LAUSD - the second largest school district in the country - is banning students from using cellphones and social media during the school day.

Some schools and districts in Southern California have already taken steps to implement their own phone bans. The Los Angeles Unified School District approved a ban for its campuses in June.

That ban has not taken effect, but the LAUSD is the largest school district in the country to approve such a ban. LAUSD schools must come up with their plans to implement the ban, or otherwise limits, by Jan. 2025.

If the statewide bill is signed by Newsom, California would become the fifth state in the country to take such steps.