Friday, Governor Bob Ferguson released the details of one of his top priorities for the upcoming legislative session: the Phone-Free Schools Act. The Governor was joined by administrators, teachers and students from Spokane Public Schools as he released the details of his proposal, which include:
- If students bring phones or smart devices to school, they must be stored away from the student, for example at the front desk, in a classroom caddy, or in lockable pouches.
- Limited, appropriate exceptions will exist, such as for students with IEPs, 504 plans?and?medical needs, and other limited scenarios in which, for example a student needs to help care for an aging parent.
- For at least the first year, no student should be suspended for violating this policy. This is to address disparities in student discipline that came up in other states during the early implementation of their phone-free policies.
- The policy will take effect in September 2027.
The draft text of the governor’s proposal is available here.
In the United States, 95% of teenagers have smartphones – and 97% of these teenagers use them during school. Studies show teenagers spend, on average, roughly a quarter of their school day on their cellphones – more than 41 instructional days over the course of a school year.
One-third of public K-12 teachers nationwide say students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom, according to Pew Research Center. Research shows school-day phone use negatively impacts students’ learning, ability to focus, attendance and mental and emotional health. Without phones, students are more engaged socially and academically.
“The research is clear — School-day phone use has a negative impact on student learning, ability to focus, attendance and mental and emotional health,” said Governor Ferguson, “We don’t allow smoking on planes anymore — I’m confident that in a few years, allowing cell phones in schools will feel just as wrong. Phone-free schools will improve academic performance, the classroom environment, and the school environment. My mission as governor is to get this legislation across the finish line and sign it into law.”
Governor Ferguson plans to prefile the Governor Request Bill the day prefiling opens on Dec. 7.
Cellphone policy in Washington state and nationwide
At least 31 states and the District of Columbia now restrict students’ use of cellphones in schools, according to Education Week. Of those states, 22 have a bell-to-bell ban.
A national report card gives Washington an “F” for our state policy.
Leadership on protecting young people
Governor Ferguson has taken multiple steps to protect youth against the harm of cellphones. During the 2026 legislative session, Governor Ferguson signed a new law that helps lay the groundwork for regulating cellphones in schools. He also successfully proposed a new law that provides safeguards for the public – particularly kids – when using AI companion chatbots. As Attorney General, he took social media companies to court to change their addictive algorithms and hold them accountable for the harm they have done to kids