Majority of US states now have laws banning or regulating cellphones in schools, with more to follow

More than half of U.S. states now have laws banning or regulating cellphones in schools, with more likely to follow. Florida was the first state to pass a law regulating use of cellphones in schools in 2023. Alaska and Nebraska became the 25th and 26th on Tuesday. Bills have sprinted through legislatures this year in states from New York to Oklahoma, reflecting a consensus that phones are bad for kids. Eight other states and the District of Columbia have rules or recommendations for local districts. There's an increasing focus on banning phones throughout the school day. Some states with traditions of local control are mandating only that districts adopt cellphone policies.