Pennsylvania families have until the start of the 2027-28 school year before the phone rules change, but the law is already signed. Senate Bill 1014 requires every school to keep students off personal phones for the whole school day, lunch and recess included.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the bill on Oct. 26, 2026, at Lenape Middle School in the Central Bucks School District, according to the governor’s office. The measure passed the Senate 47-3 and the House 141-62, with Sens. Devlin Robinson, Steve Santarsiero and Vincent Hughes listed as sponsors.
What Senate Bill 1014 asks every school to do
The law covers public, charter, cyber charter and private schools. Each must adopt a policy that bars students from using personal cell phones during the entire school day, including lunch, recess and the minutes between classes. Policies must be in place by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year.
Schools are not required to collect devices. A Times Leader roundup notes that districts must say how phone use will be restricted, which leaves room for pouches, lockers or simple rules about keeping phones out of sight. Students who have spent years checking messages between classes will notice the difference, a shift that echoes an engineering professor’s account of how screen-raised students are faring in college…