Parents struggle with their teenager’s phone use, now schools can do something more proactive about it.

California’s Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216)—signed in 2024—requires every school district, charter school, and county office of education to adopt a policy that limits or prohibits student smartphone use during the school day no later than July 1, 2026.

The law leaves details to local agencies (what’s restricted, enforcement, and specific exceptions), but the statewide expectation is a consistent policy to reduce distraction and support student learning/well-being.

It also requires the policy to be reviewed/updated periodically (every five years). See the KTLA story HERE.

-S.P. Moore