Iowa House Passes Bill Restricting Classroom Phone Use, Governor Reynolds Issues Statement

Phones in classes are always a hot topic.

Many school districts have policies surrounding phone use in classrooms. It can vary district to district and state to state.

Now, Iowa Bill 782 has passed both the state House and state Senate, which will make such policies mandatory. It bans the use of cellphones in K-12 classrooms, requiring districts to have some kind of policy in place to limit cellphone use during teaching. It was introduced by Governor Reynolds earlier this year.

The bill would go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year and all Iowa school districts would need a policy in place by July 1, 2025. Policies have to address the concerns of parent communication, where to store the phone, and what disciplinary actions would be taken. The Iowa Department of Education will provide districts with sample policies.

Governor Reynolds released a statement today after the bill passed the House, saying:

Digital distractions are at an all-time high, disrupting focus, learning, and productivity in our classrooms. Iowa students deserve to learn free from the disruption of personal electronic devices to fully focus on their education. We’ve seen tremendous progress in student behavior and engagement at our schools that have already implemented such policies. I look forward to signing this bill, allowing every Iowa student to once again prioritize learning.

Cellphones aren't the only part of this bill. Another part of the legislation also requires an "effects of social media" training for kids in 6th-8th grades.

The bill will now go to Governor Reynolds' desk.