New Law In Utah Bans Phones In Classrooms By July

Utah’s focus on making schools cell-phone free could become law by July 1 if Gov. Spencer Cox signs the bill.  

A shift in making schools less cell-phone oriented has been on the rise this legislative session and has resulted in SB178. This makes cell-phone use “prohibited during classroom hours”.  

SB178 has passed through Utah lawmakers and is now heading to Cox’s desk to be signed into law.  

Classroom hours do not include recess, lunch periods, time between classes, study hall, after school activities or independent study time, the bill said. However, local education agencies can enforce the usage times as they see fit. SB178 works to include all smart devices and any devices that function as a smart phone, like smart watches.  

Exceptions for the bill will be made for medical emergencies, school-wide emergencies and for a student’s accommodation plan.  

Some schools may allow for some change to SB178 on an individual basis but will need to make a policy in order for that to happen.  

The Policy Project, an avid supporter of SB178 said that this will have many benefits for Utah students. Bullying will go down significantly, students could earn up to a grade and a half higher, and psychological related visits could drop by 60% in girls, TPP said.  

These are just among the few noted benefits that could occur with SB178 going into place this summer. 

Utah has been focused on limiting smart device usage in schools since last year and Gov. Cox believes this will ultimately better the mental health and focus of Utah students.