Senate’s student cell phone restriction bill passes out of committee

• The legislation calls for all public schools to adopt a policy that restricts the use of cell phones by students, except under certain medical or special circumstances.

A bill aimed at restricting student cell phone use has passed the Mississippi Senate Education Committee.

Discussions about cell phone bans in classrooms have become more prevalent nationwide as their use by students has increased. In the last teacher retention survey conducted by the Mississippi Department of Education, cell phone use was listed as a top source of distraction within classrooms. 

In addition, mental health professionals have expressed concern about excessive cell phone use, especially in relation to social media.

Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) has been public in his support for passing a bill that would restrict cellphone use in the classroom.  

A committee substitute was offered to SB 2151, authored by State Senator Briggs Hopson (R), which calls for all schools and districts to adopt a policy that restricts the use of cell phones by students while in a classroom or under the supervision and/or control of a school employee.

READ MORE: Bill of the Day: Restricting cell phone use in Mississippi public schools

If it becomes law, the guidance to school districts would apply to all public schools in the state, including public charter schools, Senate Education Committee chairman Dennis DeBar (R) said.

Schools that fail to adopt such a policy by the January 1, 2026, deadline will lose a day’s worth of state funding for each day such a policy is not in effect. 

In the Friday committee meeting, Senators David Parker (R) and Nicole Boyd (R) submitted amendments out of concern for student welfare. 

Parker’s amendment came out of concern that a cell phone ban policy could lead to students being suspended or expelled when they decide to not follow the policy. Since suspension and expulsion effectively takes the student out of the learning environment, he said such punishment would be counterintuitive to the bill’s goal. Parker added that during a mental health task force meeting held recently, it was noted that taking educational experiences away from children can be detrimental to their wellbeing. An example would be when a student can’t go to recess as a form of punishment.

“I wouldn’t want to see a child who continued to violate this policy be removed from school and miss out on an education,” Parker said. “I just see that as counterproductive to what we’re trying to do here, which is to get their attention during the learning experience.”

During discussion of the amendment, some senators noted that students should expect severe repercussions for violating the policy, otherwise no student would comply. Thus, Parker agreed to add suspension as a last resort for non-compliance. 

The legislation includes exceptions to cell phone use, including if a nurse practitioner, physician or surgeon deems lack of possession of a cell phone would be detrimental to a student’s health and/or wellbeing. A second exception is if possession of the cell phone in class is part of the student’s Individualized Education Program.

Senator Boyd’s amendment added students who have 504 plans as an exception, which are educational plans that cater to students who have a disability but for whatever reason do not qualify for an IEP.

“With phones having so much technology available, it was just a smart thing to go ahead and add,” Boyd told Magnolia Tribune.

Now that it has passed out of committee, the measure heads to the Senate floor for further debate and discussion.