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Following his call for school districts to restrict smartphone use on school campuses, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone-Free Schools Act into law, requiring all school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education to adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting smartphone use by July 1, 2026.
Authored by Assemblymembers Josh Hoover, David Alvarez, Josh Lowenthal, and Al Muratsuchi, Assembly Bill 3216 seeks to support the mental health, academic success, and social well-being of California students.
"We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, but we have the power to intervene. This new law will help students focus on academics, social development and the world in front of them, not on their screens, when they are at school," Newsom said.
In that regard, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom stressed that reducing phone use in schools is essential to minimizing digital distractions and creating space for stronger, more meaningful in-person connections.
"AB 3216 is not only about classroom education, but also about protecting the mental health and social and emotional well-being of California's children," she said.
It was in 2019 that Governor Newsom signed into law AB 272 (Muratsuchi), which specified that school districts have the authority to regulate smartphone use during school hours.
In June, the governor announced measures to restrict smartphone use during the school day.
The California government said that policy development will involve significant stakeholder engagement to ensure that they respond to the unique needs and desires of students, parents, and local educators and must allow students to use their phones in the event of an emergency, or in response to a perceived threat of danger, or as permitted by a teacher, administrator, physician, or the student's individualized education program.
Why is this law important?
Excessive smartphone use among young people is linked to increased anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 72 percent of middle school teachers and 33 percent of high school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem.
Common Sense Media found that 97 percent of students use their phones during the school day for an average of 43 minutes.
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