March 26, 2025
The bill will now go to the governor’s desk for approval.
Georgia is one step closer to passing legislation that would ban cellphones in schools, the Associated Press reports. On Tuesday, March 25, the state Senate approved House Bill 340 (the “Distraction-Free Education Act”) with a 54-2 vote.
If signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, cellphones would be banned in K-8 classrooms as well as any personal electronic devices capable of “transmitting, receiving, or accessing communications, data, or media.” So pretty much any device with wireless communication, internet access, messaging, video recording, gaming, social media access, or data transmission.
“This bill isn’t just about academics. It’s about students’ well-being,” said Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R), who introduced the bill, during its debate. “Studies link excessive phone use to mental health issues, decreasing social skills, and an increase in bullying. We want students engaged in school, socializing with friends during lunch, and focusing in the classroom.”
Currently, nine states have enacted cellphone bans in schools. Others are conducting pilot programs or proposing similar legislation. Georgia has not allocated any funding for the implementation of such programs. Some states, like New Mexico, have set $10 million in funding aside to help schools purchase secure phone pouches and other resources necessary to enforce phone bans.
Some parents are not in favor of such a ban, citing the need to contact their children during emergencies. School shootings are a significant concern. In 2024, there were 83 documented school shootings, averaging nearly two incidents per week during a standard 180-day school year.
“What if that phone could save lives in an active-shooter situation?” Senator Rasaan Kemp, who supports the ban, asked. “These are true concerns as a parent that all of us will typically think about. What if that phone is the last opportunity for my child to communicate with me?”
While the argument that limiting cellphone use could improve student educational opportunities is widely supported, other debates surrounding the issue are more contentious.
Recently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed a similar ban, but his reasoning has raised eyebrows. Kennedy, the Health and Human Services Secretary, in an interview on Fox & Friends, said that cellphone usage in children “produces electromagnetic radiation, which has been shown to do neurological damage to kids when it’s around them all day, and to cause cellular damage and even cancer.”
However, neither the National Cancer Institute nor the World Health Organization has found credible evidence to support these claims, despite years of research, according to NBC News.
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