Pennsylvania House passes school cellphone ban

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday imposing a cellphone ban in all K-12 schools across the state, with enforcement left to individual districts. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mandy Steele (D-Allegheny), mandates a bell-to-bell prohibition, meaning students cannot use phones during school hours—including homeroom, lunch, and recess—except under specific exceptions, such as individualized education program needs or teacher-approved educational use. The bill passed with a bipartisan 126-75 vote and now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers previously approved a similar measure in February that the House had rejected. Governor Josh Shapiro (D) has publicly urged lawmakers to advance the ban, aligning with a Quinnipiac University poll showing over 70% of Pennsylvania voters support the policy. Exceptions to the ban include students with a cellphone as part of their individualized education program or 504 service agreement, those using phones for translation purposes, or limited teacher-approved educational use. The Pennsylvania State Education Association, representing educators and support staff, has actively supported the ban, noting that over 30 states have already implemented similar restrictions. Opposition remains, with student advocates arguing the ban reflects a lack of trust and misses opportunities to teach responsible device use. Some students acknowledged concerns about excessive screen time and social media anxiety but opposed the ban as an overreach. If approved by the Senate, the bill will proceed to Shapiro for potential signing into law.