Mass. Senate passes landmark legislation to ban cell phone use in public schools ‘bell-to-bell’

Malden state Sen. Jason Lewis led effort to establish cell phone-free schools in Mass.

Malden State Senator Jason Lewis, D-5th Middlesex, led the effort in the Massachusetts Senate to pass legislation to establish cell phone-free public schools in the Commonwealth. The bill aims to improve student learning and academic achievement, boost mental health and foster healthier learning environments.

Extensive research has shown that removing cell phones and other personal electronic devices from schools does the following: increases academic performance; encourages face-to-face interactions, which improves social skills and emotional intelligence; supports mental health and well-being; increases job satisfaction for teachers; and makes schools safer during emergency situations.

“There are a myriad of negative effects linked to student cell phone usage in school, including diminished academic performance, poorer mental health, worse relationship building and social skills, online bullying, and more,” said Senator Lewis, who is Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education.

According to Pew Research, 72% of high school teachers consider cell phones to be a “major problem” in the classroom, and numerous studies have shown the benefits to student learning and well-being by removing cell phones from schools.

“Thank you to all the students, parents, teachers, school administrators, researchers, and other stakeholders we’ve worked with in drafting and passing this important legislation,” Sen. Lewis said.

An Act to Promote Student Learning and Mental Health requires all public K-12 school districts in Massachusetts to adopt “bell to bell” cell phone-free school policies by the start of the 2026-2027 school year. Districts would be allowed to make exceptions for students who need personal devices for managing medical conditions, off-campus travel requirements, and individualized education plans (IEPs), or to accommodate a disability. Schools will be required to ensure that parents or guardians are able to contact their children during the school day when necessary.

To guide districts in crafting their policies, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) would solicit public input and provide guidance, recommendations and a model policy. Districts would have the freedom to decide how best to implement and enforce their policy. More than half of all states have already enacted statewide laws or regulations to ban, limit or discourage student cell phone use in schools.

The bill passed in the state Senate with a bipartisan vote of 38-2. On August 4, 2025, the House of Representatives referred the bill to its committee on Ways and Means.