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Chris Lisinski |SHNS
The Senate is gearing up for the next step in a growing debate over the benefits or harms that come with cellphones in K-12 classrooms.
Senators on the Education Committee on Tuesday advanced legislation (S 2549) that would largely prohibit cellphones in public schools from the first bell of the day to the last, with carveouts for certain groups or activities that could soften the policy.
Committee co-chair Sen. Jason Lewis expects the full Senate to take up the bill, which already has the support of Senate President Karen Spilka, by the end of the month.
If the measure finds support from the House and Gov. Maura Healey, Massachusetts would join roughly half of the states that have already cracked down on phones in classrooms.
"We just have reached the point where we have really compelling evidence that use of cellphones by young people causes a number of harms for them in terms of their ability to learn, their ability to collaborate and communicate with their peers, [and the impact] on their mental health," Lewis said in an interview. "We think that's particularly true when the devices are used while students are actually in school."
All six senators on the Education Committee -- Lewis, Patricia Jehlen of Somerville, Sal DiDomenico of Everett, Robyn Kennedy of Worcester, Pavel Payano of Lawrence, and Patrick O'Connor of Weymouth, the lone Republican -- voted in favor of advancing the bill, according to an aide.
Many Massachusetts districts have already acted to put new limits around devices including cellphones, according to Lewis. The bill advanced by the Education Committee's Senate wing would extend those efforts statewide.
Fact sheet: Senate Education Committee cellphones in schools bill
Under the legislation, every public school would need to have a policy in place by the start of the 2026-2027 school year with a "'bell-to-bell' prohibition on student access to personal electronic devices during the school day," according to a committee summary of the bill.
Districts could offer exceptions from a long list of options to grant some cellphone access to multilingual learners, to accommodate students with disabilities, in emergency cases, during time traveling off-campus to a school-related event like early college, when devices are necessary for student health and safety, or if a staff member gives permission. Restrictions could also differ by grade level.
Some of the key details would be up to local education leaders. The bill would require schools to offer a way for parents or guardians and students to communicate during the school day if necessary, and districts would also need to have enforcement mechanisms in place to ensure students are not using phones. In both cases the legislation stops short of prescribing an exact approach (though it does bar any "inequitable" discipline).
"We're trying to balance having a clear requirement statewide that applies to all public schools and all districts in Massachusetts," Lewis said. "But we recognize that individual schools and districts may have some unique circumstances based on the kind of student population they serve, the grade levels they serve, what policies they may already have in place that may be working well for them. So that's why we want to give some flexibility to schools and districts in designing and implementing their policies."
Education leaders have long warned that cellphones are a potent, harmful force, distracting from classwork while fueling social discord and mental health issues. At a committee hearing last month, some lawmakers likened cellphones in classrooms to "electronic cocaine" or "a youth behavioral health crisis on steroids."
As of May 21, 25 states had passed laws imposing new rules or recommending districts limit cellphones in schools, according to CBS News.
Gov. Maura Healey supports action to limit cellphone use during the school day, as does Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who worked with lawmakers to file an earlier version of the bill.
Senate President Karen Spilka, who has voiced interest in getting phones out of classrooms, on Tuesday signaled her support for the proposal that emerged from the Education Committee.
Bill text: Senate Education Committee regulations on cellphones in schools
"Today's action means that Massachusetts is one step closer to making schools cell phone-free," Spilka said in a joint statement alongside Lewis. "The cell phone is one of the most distracting devices ever created. Overwhelming evidence shows us that cell phones are major barriers to student growth and achievement in the classroom, and they make it harder for our talented educators to teach. As legislators, neighbors, and parents, it is incumbent upon us to ensure classrooms are places where young people focus, learn, and thrive."
It's less clear what reception the proposal will get across the hall. House Speaker Ron Mariano has said that he recognizes that phones are a distraction in schools and that he also understands concerns raised by some parents worried about how to keep in contact with kids during emergencies.
The Education Committee's senators built their bill by redrafting a proposal from Sen. Julian Cyr of Provincetown (S 335). They left out one significant piece: unlike the Cyr bill, the version newly on the move does not implement any new regulations or guardrails around social media use by minors.
The earlier measure, which Campbell backed, would have required social media platforms to verify a user's age and activate "default" privacy settings for minors, which would limit use of the platform to only certain hours of the day or for long stretches.
"That is not included in this redraft. That is an issue that we also are concerned about, but we think that deserves further review and study," Lewis said. "We will continue to look at that, but we didn't want that to hold up moving forward the part of the bill dealing with the student use of cellphones in schools."
