Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced a new bipartisan effort Wednesday aimed at rewarding states that adopt cellphone bans in public schools. It’s the most sweeping attempt to date to keep cellphones out of classrooms.
The new bill, if passed, would send money to states that bar students from using personal devices like cellphones, tablets and smartwatches during the school day. Those funds could then be used to pay for lockers, lockboxes, security pouches and other technology used to store students’ devices.
Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™
Point phone camera here
In a statement, Cotton said Arkansas kids “deserve classrooms free of distractions.”
“This bill would support Arkansas public schools that choose to tailor their classroom cellphone guidance to ensure students have the most productive school days possible,” he said, according to The Washington Post.
Kelly echoed that sentiment in an email to The Post, saying, “Getting phones out of classrooms will mean fewer distractions and more time for kids to focus on their teachers and lessons. We’re giving schools the tools to make that happen.”
A growing desire for cellphone bans
The bipartisan effort comes as cellphone bans gain popularity. Many states have enacted policies to restrict cellphone use in schools, though the rules vary.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 42 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico have enacted legislation related to cellphone use in schools.
“Enacted legislation generally falls into three categories: requirements for local policy adoption, provisions for the development of state-level guidance and funding measures that allocate resources or establish grant programs to support implementation strategies,” NCSL says.
Polling also suggests that a growing number of U.S. adults support some form of cellphone ban during the school day. As Straight Arrow previously reported, support for banning phone use during class rose 6 percentage points in June 2025.
Bans outside of school
Restrictions on cellphone use are also moving beyond schools and into the workplace.
Straight Arrow previously reported on digital identity verification company ID.me, which adopted its own cellphone policy several years ago. It introduced phone pouches for nearly 300 employees in an effort to protect clients’ personal information.
Other companies, like JPMorgan Chase, have implemented no-phone policies only in specific instances, such as during meetings.
But do cellphone bans really work?
With cellphone bans still relatively new across the U.S., researchers are studying their effects.
According to a report this year by the National Bureau of Economic Research, however, bans can have positive effects but not immediately.
Researchers found that cellphone policies did reduce usage during the school day, but that reduction had no major impact on student test scores, attendance or attention in class. Over time, however, researchers found improvements in student well-being under the cellphone restrictions.
“There is clearly justifiable enthusiasm for school phone bans, but it’s important to recognize that building effective, phone-free learning environments does not appear to be a simple or quick fix,” said Thomas Dee, one of the authors of the report.
