In 2023, 72% of high school teachers nationwide reported that cell phone use inhibited their teaching environment, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center.
In response to this issue, the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 178 last year, limiting student phone use during class time. Since the law went into effect, many school districts have reported positive impacts — a sentiment echoed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox at a press conference last Wednesday.
“I lament that we did not get this done earlier, but we have an opportunity to fix what we got wrong last time and do it the right way this time," Cox said. "I am convinced more than ever that a bell-to-bell cell phone ban is the single most important thing that we can do for our students in our schools today.”
Cox was joined by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, who is sponsoring Senate Bill 69 — the proposed ban.
And with the rise of artificial intelligence, Cox stressed that the need for this change is more important than ever.
“If we thought it wasn't a fair fight with the social media companies, the fight is going to completely overwhelm us with AI chat bots and their ability to not just rewire our brains, but to hijack everything that makes us human, and we can't allow that to happen in our schools,” Cox said.
Opponents of the change argue that students may need their phones for medical purposes or in the event of an emergency. In an interview with KSL News, Sen. Kathleen Riebe argued that “at some point, we need to train our future adults to use tools responsibly, instead of just taking them out of their hands.”
But Cox pushed back on that concern, saying students would still be safer without their phones — even during an emergency.
“What are cell phones, but if anything else, a distraction at a time when students need to be focused and following directions," Cox said. "Cell phones really make that situation much, much worse.”
The new bill is expected to be considered during the upcoming 2026 legislative session, which begins Tuesday.
