A Georgia bill headed to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for final approval would ban personal devices during the day for kindergarten, elementary and middle school students.
The Georgia Senate passed House Bill 340 by a vote of 54-2 on Tuesday.
It would require public schools and school systems to establish protocols for restricting access to and storing devices like smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, e-readers, Bluetooth headphones and more. Schools would also create their own policies for device usage during extracurricular and off-campus activities. Schools would need to adopt policies by Jan. 1, 2026, and implement the ban by July 1, 2026.
The bill does not apply to school-issued devices. HB 340 also has carveouts for students who need to access personal devices for official medical or educational reasons.
Schools in Georgia and metro Atlanta have already implemented some form of a personal device ban to reduce distractions in the classroom.
State Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, the lead sponsor of the Distraction-Free Schools Act, praised its passage in the Senate.
“With cell phone use among children at an all-time high, we must take action to protect the integrity of our classrooms,” he said in a press release after the vote. “Studies overwhelmingly show that limiting phone access significantly increases students’ focus, reduces distractions and fosters a more effective learning environment.”
Republican state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, said it will also help students’ mental health. Last year, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms that emphasize the link between social media use and poor adolescent mental health.
“This bill isn’t just about academics, it’s about students’ well-being. Studies link excessive phone use to mental health issues, decrease in social skills, and increase in bullying,” he said Tuesday. “We want students engaged in school, socializing with friends during lunch and focusing in the classroom.”
Margaret Ciccarelli, director of legislative services of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, GeorgiaCAN executive director Michael O’Sullivan and Southeast legislative director for ExcelinEd in Action Miranda Williams spoke in support of the bill last week in committee.
Though the Republican-sponsored bill has enjoyed broad support from lawmakers of both parties and education advocates, it did not pass without some discussion.
Republican state Sen. Randy Robertson responded to concerns that students wouldn’t be able to contact their parents in the event of an emergency, saying that students should be focused on safety instructions given by the school if something happens.
“From a public safety standpoint, I don’t think anybody really appreciates the chaos around an incident that happens at a school,” he said. “If you’re looking at a large school, you’ve got about 600 children texting 911 or calling their parents. You have about 1,200 parents calling 911 or calling the school during these incidents, and you have people texting rumors galore about where the bad guy is or where the storm hit, and you have first responders trying to get there and they’re being fed a lot of misinformation because it’s coming from all different directions.”
“This is a huge first step in clearing up the communication lines,” he added.
Democratic state Sen. RaShaun Kemp, who voted in favor of the bill, said he understands parents feeling worried about not being able to contact their children, especially in the case of a school shooting like the one that occurred last September at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
“I implore, I beg my colleagues for the sake of our children and educators to do something about guns,” he said. “Do something so that we no longer put ourselves in this position where we make sound policy decisions but neglect what our students are really asking for: to be safe in their classrooms.”
Kemp added that he believed the ban should also apply to high schoolers. Similarly, Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves also discussed the detrimental effects of excessive social media use on high school students and called upon local schools to implement a cell phone ban now, even without a statewide mandate yet.
Democratic state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes filed a minority report arguing that individual schools and teachers should have the power to dictate device use. She ultimately voted to pass the bill.
Islam Parkes said in a statement, “I supported an amendment on HB 340 that would have expanded the education friendly technology that students can access in the classroom. While that amendment was voted down, I ultimately supported HB 340 and believe this legislation will help our students focus and thrive in Georgia’s classrooms.”
WABE’s Rahul Bali contributed reporting to this story.
