A bill prefiled Nov. 18 by Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Jefferson County, would create a statewide model policy to restrict K-12 students from using cell phones and other electronic communication devices during the school day. The Alabama Department of Education and local districts would have to adopt a policy for the 2026-27 school year.
Students would only be able to use a device in the event of an emergency or to manage health care issues, or if use is included in an IEP or 504 plan.
Sellers told AL.com that educators and school administrators really wanted the legislation. They told him they were concerned about students being able to stay focused in class.
“Just like we have laws against driving with your cell phone, distracted driving, there’s distracted learning,” Sellers told AL.com. “And we need to make sure that we give all of our students the best opportunity that they can have to learn in the most wholesome environment.”
Schools around the state and country have considered cell phone bans following recent federal advisories on student mental health and social media use. In February, the Alabama state school board adopted a resolution to “strongly encourage” local school districts to have a policy that would limit cell phone use on school grounds, citing negative effects on learning and retention.
Since then, several Alabama school districts have placed harsher restrictions on cell phone use or have banned them altogether. Some schools require students to turn their phones on “airplane mode” during class. Others use boxes or locked bags to keep phones inaccessible.
“We need to talk about getting cell phones out of the schools and getting kids off social media,” Mackey said during the board’s June work session. “Every system that has been able to run the gauntlet and get cell phones out of the schools have been able to improve their discipline scores 35, 40 to 45 percent. It’s unbelievable how discipline changes by getting cell phones out of the schools.”
Florida became the first state to ban “wireless communication devices” during instructional time through legislation adopted in 2023. A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly 30 states have enacted statewide restrictions or policy recommendations.
Montgomery County Public Schools adopted a cell phone ban in the classrooms last June. Leaders say it has resulted in a drop in discipline rates. Several staff also reported a reduction in student distractions during learning and engagement.
In Mobile, one school reported a 37 percent drop in discipline referrals and a jump in academic achievement after enacting a similar pilot program.
It’s possible the bill could have bipartisan support; Republican lawmakers, including Terri Collins, the chair of the Alabama House Education Policy Committee, told reporters this summer that they would support a statewide ban on cell phone use in schools.
“We’ll make sure we work hand in hand across the aisle,” Sellers said. “Because it’s a concern, and it has been a concern for some time.”
The 2025 legislative session begins Feb. 4.
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