Gov. Newsom signs bill restricting cell phone usage in schools

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed various bills Monday, including one that requires school districts, charter schools and county offices of education to adopt policies limiting or prohibiting the use of smartphones by 2026.

Assembly Bill 3216, also known as the Phone-Free School Act, was introduced as an effort to support the mental health and social wellbeing of California students.

The office cited a recent Pew Research Center survey that found 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers reported students being distracted by their cell phones during class.

This follows a similar action back in 2019 when Newsom signed Assembly Bill 272 , giving districts the authority to limit the use of smartphones during the school day. The bill received bipartisan support from lawmakers, but got mixed reviews from parents.

“I actually didn’t like it,” said Tatiana Johnson, a parent. “I tried contacting my son because he has PT for rehabilitation right now, tried to get him out of class, and the school didn’t answer four or five times. It took me 20 minutes. So I’m texting and calling him like, ‘What’s going on?’ Finally got a hold of him, I was like, honestly, that for like a second made me uncomfortable.”

However, parents, teachers and other school staff are required to let students use their phones in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger, according to the governor’s office.

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