Pennsylvania schools will be required to restrict student cell phone use throughout the school day beginning with the 2027-28 academic year under legislation signed into law Monday by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Shapiro signed Senate Bill 1014 during a visit to Lenape Middle School in Doylestown, Bucks County, joined by legislators, educators, parents and students. The law requires schools across Pennsylvania to adopt policies prohibiting students from possessing and using personal mobile devices during the school day, including lunch periods, recess and between classes.
The restrictions will apply to public school districts, charter schools, cyber charter schools, intermediate units, career and technical schools, private schools and other nonpublic educational institutions.
Schools must adopt and implement compliant policies by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year. While the legislation requires restrictions on student possession and use of mobile devices, it does not mandate that schools physically confiscate phones. Individual schools will determine how to enforce their policies.
“Technology is a powerful tool, but it’s also a powerful distraction, and I’ve heard from parents and teachers who tell me about how our kids are too easily caught up by addictive algorithms that are preventing them from focusing on school, building relationships with other kids, and developing the social skills that help us all relate to each other in person,” Shapiro said.
The governor had called for statewide restrictions on student cell phone use during his 2026-27 budget address, citing concerns about excessive screen time and its potential effects on academic performance, mental health and social development.
According to results from the 2025 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 24% of students reported spending four or more hours per school day on social media, while 36.3% reported spending at least four hours on non-school-related screen time.
The legislation includes exceptions for students with documented medical needs, special education or disability accommodations, English language learning devices and certain pre-approved instructional purposes.
Schools will also be required to notify parents and guardians of emergency communication procedures, provide opportunities for public input and publish their cell phone policies online.
Senate Bill 1014, sponsored by Sen. Devlin Robinson, received bipartisan support in the General Assembly, passing the state House by a vote of 141-62 and the Senate by a vote of 47-3.
“I am thrilled that we were able to pass this bill to prohibit cellphone use in schools,” Robinson said. “Today is a win for students and schools and I am proud to have been a part of this effort.”
The legislation was signed at Lenape Middle School in the Central Bucks School District, where students are already required to keep their phones turned off and put away throughout the school day.
Christie Besack, a social studies teacher at Central Bucks High School West, said the district has experienced positive results from its existing restrictions.
“Here at Central Bucks, we’ve already seen first-hand what happens when students put their phones away — they’re more present, they talk to each other more, they’re more engaged, and teachers can focus on teaching instead of competing for our students’ attention,” Besack said.
Pennsylvania joins more than two dozen states that have enacted school cell phone restrictions.
The new law gives schools until the start of the 2027-28 academic year to establish their policies, allowing districts time to determine how the restrictions will be implemented and communicated to students and families.
