NY’s Hochul Calls for Law Banning Cell Phone Use in Schools
New York state voters support a ban by 60% to 32%, according to a poll from Siena College.
Photographer: Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images
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January 22, 2025 at 2:10 AM GMT+8
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January 22, 2025 at 4:05 AM GMT+8
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing legislation to ban cell phones in public school classrooms, saying the move is necessary to give students a “distraction-free learning environment.”
As part of the proposal, which requires approval from the state legislature, the governor earmarked $13.5 million in her next budget to help school districts implement the ban.
If enacted, the law would require all school districts and charter schools to adopt policies to prohibit the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled devices during the school day by Aug. 1. The bill allows for districts to authorize exemptions for educational, medical, translation and emergency use. It also requires schools to provide for a method for parents to contact students when necessary.
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The money in the budget would be used to reimburse schools for costs incurred while setting up the programs, including the purchase of materials to lock up phones during class hours. A mobile phone ban would affect nearly 2.5 million students across New York state’s 4,400 public schools.
Kathy HochulPhotographer: Jose A. Alvarado Jr./Bloomberg
Hochul, who first proposed a ban on mobile phones last year, said the legislation aims to address concerns about mental health and academic performance associated with excessive screen time. About 70% of high school teachers and one-third of middle school teachers say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classrooms, according to a Pew Research Center survey published last year.
“We will build a brighter tomorrow for our youngest New Yorkers by freeing them from the oppressive influence of cell phones in schools and by investing in playgrounds, youth programs and community organizations,” Hochul wrote in a document accompanying the release of her $252 billion fiscal 2026 budget on Tuesday.
Read more: NY Gov. Hochul to Detail Tax Cuts in $252 Billion Draft Budget
New York state voters support a ban by 60% to 32%, according to a poll from Siena College.
More US school districts have considered limiting students’ smartphone use as debate rises about the effects on mental health, focus and face-to-face connection. Last week New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy endorsed a bill calling for the development of a policy to ban cell phones in his state’s more than 600 school districts.
Read more: NJ Governor Murphy Joins Push to Ban Mobile Phones in Schools
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an act last year to restrict smartphone use in all California schools by July 2026. New York City planned its own ban last summer, but the schools chancellor halted that effort in October after parents raised concerns about reaching their children during emergencies.
Costs related to phone bans could include the purchase of magnetically sealed pouches by the company Yondr. Those pouches cost roughly $30 per student in the first year, after which schools may need to pay for replacement equipment.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second biggest after New York City, approved an all-day ban last year, which is set to take effect next month.
(Updates with details of proposal starting in first paragrah)
Last edited by @suen 2025-01-22T04:43:04Z