Kansas Senate Passes Bell-to-Bell Cellphone Ban for Public and Accredited Private Schools
Bill now returns to the House for final concurrence before heading to Gov. Laura Kelly's desk
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Senate voted 32-4 on March 5 to ban cellphone use during school hours at all public schools and Kansas State Department of Education-accredited private schools, sending the legislation back to the House for final action.
The bill requires students to power off personal electronic devices and store them in a secure, inaccessible location from the start of the school day through dismissal. Exceptions are permitted for students with individualized education programs, 504 plans or documented medical needs. Schools must certify compliance to the Kansas State Board of Education by Sept. 1, 2026.
The legislation draws a distinction between private schools that have voluntarily sought KSDE accreditation — which are subject to the ban — and those accredited by independent third parties, which are exempt from the mandate. The bill also prohibits school employees from communicating directly with students through social media platforms for official school purposes. Gov. Kelly has signaled she will sign the bill.
The Senate vote concludes months of negotiation that included a House committee amendment in February that briefly transformed the mandate into a recommendation, and a subsequent Senate referral back to the Education Committee to resolve disagreements over private school inclusion. The House must now concur with Senate amendments before the bill can be enrolled and sent to the governor.
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