Legislation to ban student cell phone use in class moved one step closer to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk.
The Michigan Senate voted on a pair of bills Thursday, Jan. 22 that would prohibit students from using smartphones and other wireless communication devices, such as tablets, during instructional time.
Many states have pursued cell phone bans in schools to combat digital distractions and cyberbullying. Some states have enacted so-called bell-to-bell bans that prohibit phone use throughout the entire school day. The Michigan bills, however, would let school districts allow K-12 students to use their phones outside of instructional time, such as during recess and lunch. Some districts already restrict student phone use, but the legislation would require all of them to develop a device use policy.
Whitmer called on lawmakers to pass phone restrictions in class in her 2025 State of the State speech. “This year, let’s pass bipartisan legislation to limit the use of phones in class,” she said. That didn’t happen after competing proposals became caught up in a partisan fight in the divided Michigan Legislature. Students returned to the classroom last fall without a statewide phone policy in place.
But new momentum on the legislation and a bipartisan compromise mean a ban could be in place by the next school year.
State Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, the chair of the Senate Education Committee and one of the bill sponsors, said that the legislation sets the “minimum” state-level requirements for phone bans. But districts can pursue stricter policies, she said in a floor speech before the votes. Her bill requires school districts to update their emergency plans to include a protocol outlining when and how students can use cell phones and other devices in an emergency, a sticking point during negotiations on the legislation. The Michigan House of Representatives must pass her bill to head to Whitmer for approval.
Both chambers have passed a separate bill introduced by state Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, that establishes the requirements of a statewide phone ban policy. “Every parent knows that phones are addictive devices. We’ve got to give kids their childhood back,” Tisdel said in a statement following the House vote Jan. 14.
In addition to the exception for emergencies, the proposed policy would allow students to use devices in class if they are issued by the school, are medically necessary or used for special education programs and specific lessons.
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has expressed hope that Whitmer could sign the legislation before she delivers her next State of the State address, which is scheduled for Feb. 25.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan could soon ban student cell phone use in classrooms
Reporting by Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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