California legislators want school districts to limit, prohibit smartphone use in schools
California school districts will be required to adopt policies that limit or prohibit the use of smartphones by students under a bill passed Wednesday by the state Legislature.
The measure, Assembly Bill 3216, received overwhelming and bipartisan support from legislators and it will now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Earlier in the summer, the governor called for a statewide ban on cellphones in schools and just two weeks ago urged schools to restrict their use in classrooms before the academic year.
“We all care about our kids, and we care about everyone’s kids, and we really feel strongly that as parents, this bill needed to happen,” said Folsom Republican Josh Hoover, the bill’s author, after the final vote. Hoover has three children under 16 years old.
If the governor signs off on the bill, districts will have until July of 2026 to adopt policies and will be required to update them in future years.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, one of the largest in the country, has banned cell phone use during school days. Sacramento area school districts have also implemented policies limiting their use. Several other states currently have laws that restrict or ban cellphone use in schools.
Sen. Angelique Ashby, a Sacramento Democrat, opposed the bill. The mother of three, who has a daughter in middle school, said she was uncomfortable with her child not being able to have her phone in the event of a shooting or another emergency on campus.
“I don’t think kids should be on their phone in class and distracted,” Ashby said in an interview Tuesday. “But a bill that could potentially give districts permission to ban kids from bringing their smartphones to school gives me pause.”
The California School Boards Association also was against the measure, saying it stripped authority from districts to decide what is best for their schools.
It was supported by the California Teachers Association, which said phones were a significant distraction for students in classrooms. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond has also called on school districts to limit cell phone use.
This story was originally published August 28, 2024 at 5:26 PM with the headline "California legislators want school districts to limit, prohibit smartphone use in schools."
