California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation requiring schools to limit or prohibit students from using their cellphones on campus during the school day.
Assembly Bill 3216, which received bipartisan support from lawmakers in the latest legislative session, was signed into law on Monday after the governor previously expressed support for restricting school cellphone use.
“We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues – but we have the power to intervene,” Newsom said in a statement. “This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they’re in school.”
Every school district, charter school and county office of education must adopt a policy limiting or prohibiting the use of smartphones during the school day by July 1, 2026.
The policy must also be updated every five years, according to the law, also known as the Phone-Free School Act.
Newsom signed similar legislation in 2019 that said school districts have the power to regulate smartphone usage during the school day.
Some school districts in California, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, have already adopted policies restricting cellphone use during school hours.
“Reducing phone use in schools is essential for minimizing digital distractions and making space for stronger and more meaningful in-person connections,” California first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement.
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“AB 3216 isn’t only about classroom instruction, it’s about protecting the mental health and social and emotional well-being of California’s kids,” she continued.
The law has received mixed reactions from some education groups in the state, as the California Teachers Association and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond support the measure while the California School Boards Association opposes it.
