The Phone-Free Schools Act requires that every school district, charter school and county office of education have a policy in place limiting the use of smartphones. Though schools must allow students to use their phones in an emergency, school policies should “limit or prohibit the use” of smartphones by students while they are on campus or under the supervision of school faculty.
The bill, authored by Assemblymembers Josh Hoover, R-Folsom; David Alvarez, D-San Diego; Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach; and Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, was signed into law by Newsom in September 2024, meaning schools have had nearly two years to develop their policies.
