Maryland Senate Passes Student Phone Ban Bill

The Maryland Senate unanimously approved a bill Friday requiring all local school boards to adopt policies that sharply limit student use of personal devices including cellphones, laptops, smartwatches, and similar technology and prohibit social media access during the school day by the 2027–28 academic year. The proposal, which has drawn criticism from several education boards, now heads to the House of Delegates.

Under the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, students would be required to keep personal devices out of use throughout the entire school day, including during classes, passing periods, lunch, and recess. Exceptions would apply to school-issued devices, tools required for individualized education programs, or devices needed for health-related purposes. The policy would also allow device use in emergencies, and administrators could approve limited use for educational purposes when school-provided technology is not available.