Indiana Lawmakers Look to Tighten Cell Phone Rules in Schools
If you have a student in a K to 12 school, your kids might be in for a rude awakening soon. Back in 2024, Indiana enacted a statewide cellphone restriction law that prohibits students from using phones, tablets, laptops, and gaming devices during instructional time, with exemptions for education, emergencies, health care needs, or disability related accommodations. Now, Senate Bill 78 is looking to tighten those restrictions even further.
What Senate Bill 78 Would Change
According to indianacapitalchronicle.com, Senate Bill 78, authored by committee chairman Sen. Jeff Raatz, R Richmond, would require public and charter schools to choose between two options.
Schools could adopt a “no device policy,” which would prohibit students from bringing devices to school at all. Or they could implement a “secure storage policy,” which allows students to bring phones but requires them to be stored securely throughout the day in a location students cannot access.
The bill also expands the definition of devices to include smart watches that connect to wireless or cellular service. Students who rely on phones for medical or disability related needs, such as diabetes monitoring, would be exempt.
How Cell Phones Are Currently Used in Indiana Schools
Under current law, students are allowed to use their phones before and after school, during lunch, and between classes. Some school districts have already chosen to restrict phone use during lunch or passing periods…