Allegheny County lawmakers are seeking the ban, which would apply to students across the Commonwealth.
Two bills have been introduced in Harrisburg by Allegheny County lawmakers that focus on banning cell phone use in schools. The bills were introduced by Republican State Senator Devlin Robinson.
Teachers across the Commonwealth have struggled with students utilizing cell phones during class and over the course of the school day, and cell phone use in students has been linked to mental health problems. The bills seek to address this issue.
Last year, there was an effort in the state legislature to ban cell phones in schools. The push led to a grant program that allowed school entities to use grant money to purchase cell phone storage bags to store students’ devices during class.
Eighteen public school entities applied for the grant funding in 2024-25, according to a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Representative Steele’s new bill says that students “may not possess or use a cell phone during the school day in a school building” of a public district.
Senator Robinson’s bill would have school entities develop policies that would prohibit the use of cell phones “bell to bell” during the school day.
“We are getting a lot of support. Teachers are frustrated because they want to teach,” said Robinson.
Recent research published in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities found the global increase in cell phone and social media use has dramatically reshaped childhood and adolescence, with “algorithmically engineered digital environments increasingly influencing young people’s capabilities and functioning.”
School district policies across the state currently vary, and teachers across the state have vocalized their concerns to lawmakers. The bills have both officially been introduced.
