Liias bill to help schools limit student cellphone use signed into law

OLYMPIA — A bipartisan bill aiming to limit student cellphone use in the classroom was signed into law Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), lays the groundwork to help school districts find the best approach for restricting student cellphone use in ways that work best for their schools.

“Creating a vision for device-free schools in Washington will give the districts that need additional support the guidance they need to implement policies that work for their community,” Liias said. “Study after study has shown the harm that cellphones cause in the classroom, and helping every school district in the state address this issue will ensure students, faculty, and staff can focus on what matters most: learning.”

To help create the vision of device-free schools by 2030, the legislation tasks the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) with submitting a report by the end of 2027 summarizing the policies and procedures that public schools in Washington and other states have adopted to limit student device use, the implementation barriers they face, evidence-based recommendations for healthy device use during school hours, and student input on these recommendations.

The new law clarifies that school boards have the authority to adopt policies and procedures that limit student cellphone use, and it encourages school boards to review OSPI’s recommendations during this process. It will also have OSPI make information available online that includes research on student use of mobile devices and best practices for teaching students how to use them responsibly.

A 2025 study found that adolescents spend more than a quarter of their time on their cellphones during a 6.5-hour school day. Research has also found that leaving cellphones out of the classroom helps students comprehend course material more, have less anxiety, and be more mindful.

Danica Noble, a representative from the Coalition for a Media-Safe Childhood, said the new law will help school districts prioritize students’ attention to learning.

“Focus, connection, and student wellbeing in our schools will benefit from enactment of Sen. Liias’s bill. As Washington keeps moving toward putting students, not screens, at the center of learning, we look forward to helping districts chose attention over distraction in every classroom,” Noble said.

The new law goes into effect June 11.