Cell Phone Ban In PA Schools Passed In House, Senate

HARRISBURG, PA — New proposed legislation that would ban cell phones in schools across all of Pennsylvania was passed in the state legislature and the senate on Monday, as officials seek ways to curb the harmful effects of technology on student learning and mental health.

The bill has notable bipartisan support and passed the legislature easily, 126-75. The senate then passed it 46-1.

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“Pennsylvania’s educators have long known that easy student access to personal smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets is a problem in our schools," Pennsylvania State Education Association President Aaron Chapin said in a statement. " These mobile devices disrupt classroom lessons, distract students from learning, and facilitate cyberbullying."

Some individual school districts around the state already do ban cell phones. And 28 other states have laws restricting the use of mobile devices during the day, often calling them "bell to bell" laws.

"This decline in our children’s mental health, social skills, and academic performance directly correlates to the rise of smartphones and social media apps," State Sen. Devlin Robinson, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. Many parents and teachers alike see the devastating impact these devices are having on our children and are asking for help.

While numerous factors are in play, technology is repeatedly cited as one of the drivers behind students learning declines in recent years. Pennsylvania's students in particular are performing lower than their peers nationwide, according to a newly published interactive map from Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project. Statewide test scores are 0.27 grade levels below average, the data shows. That means students learn 4.6 percent less in each grade in Pennsylvania than the U.S. average.

“Our children need this bill,” State Rep. Mandy Steele, the co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get this bill to this point, but it’s been worth the effort. Research shows that unfettered access to devices is harming our children, and many educators tell me this bill is desperately needed."

The proposed legislation would still leave some autonomy to local school districts in deciding exactly how they want to implement and enforce the law.

Students would still be allowed to bring their phones to school, but they must be secured "in a way that prevents access until the end of the school day."

Exceptions will still exist to the rule in cases of emergencies and medical need, which can be approved by school officials.

The bill will now head to the governor's desk, where it's expected to be signed.