New York will become the largest state in the nation to enact a statewide, bell-to-bell restriction on smartphones in K–12 schools, Governor Kathy Hochul announced today. The policy, secured as part of the FY 2026 State Budget, will take effect this fall for the 2025–2026 school year and applies to all public school districts, charter schools, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).
Framed as part of a broader push to safeguard youth mental health and improve learning outcomes in the digital age, the measure bans unsanctioned smartphone and internet-enabled device use throughout the entire school day — from the first bell to the last. Schools will be required to develop their own storage solutions and provide parents with a way to reach their children during the day. The state has allocated $13.5 million to help schools implement the policy, particularly those needing funding for secure storage.
“This isn’t about being anti-phone or anti-technology — it’s about being pro-childhood,” said New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person, who joined Hochul at the announcement. “We’re giving students seven hours a day free from distractions so they can focus on learning, access their creativity, and make real human connections.”
The policy includes targeted exemptions: students with documented medical needs, those whose Individualized Education Programs require device use, and those using devices for legitimate academic or caregiving purposes will still be permitted access. Hochul emphasized that students will still be able to carry simple, non-internet cellphones for basic communication.
The decision follows a statewide listening tour in which Hochul met with teachers, parents, and students. Her administration’s report, More Learning, Less Scrolling, found that constant phone access distracts from academics, hampers creativity, and can negatively affect mental health — for both students and educators. It also concluded that phone-free environments do not compromise student safety and that such policies are most effective when applied throughout the entire school day, not just in classrooms.
This marks Hochul’s second major initiative to curb tech-driven distractions for young people. In 2024, she signed the first-in-the-nation Safe for Kids Act, requiring social media companies to limit addictive feeds for minors, and the New York Child Data Protection Act, restricting online companies from collecting or selling children’s personal data without consent.
Parent and advocacy groups praised the move. “Smartphones are designed to be addictive in a way that makes it harder for kids to focus and learn,” said Julie Scelfo, founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction. “Making New York a model for the rest of the nation is a huge step forward.”
For Hochul, the measure is about protecting the developmental space of childhood itself. “I know our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” she said. “That’s why New York continues to lead the nation on protecting our kids in the digital age.”
