House Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, speaks during a recent joint committee hearing on cell phones in schools.

Those testifying at a recent state House joint committee hearing on cell phones in school are in general agreement that it’s time to silence cell phones in classrooms.

The hearing included a mix of educators, psychologists and state education officials. None argued that the state shouldn’t do more to remove cell phones from the typical school day. Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, was among the lawmakers involved in the hearing. And, while the testimony was eye-opening, Rapp said she still has concerns to be addressed as legislation state lawmakers begin discussing legislation that has been drafted that would add Pennsylvania to the list of schools that limit cell phone use in schools.

“I want to thank all the testifiers who spoke on a very important issue facing our students,” Rapp said. “Some of the testimony was very eye-opening and concerning to me. While cell phones are a fact of everyday life for a vast majority of people, they play an especially significant role in the lives of today’s youth due to social media. The General Assembly must decide whether a statewide ban or restriction is the best course of action, or whether we should leave these decisions up to local officials, namely school boards, and the citizens who elect them to govern their specific school district. If we were to consider legislation, I have several concerns that need to be addressed before I could support it.”

Lisa Graham, school counselor at Seneca Valley Intermediate High School, said in written testimony that her district has implemented a bell-to-bell ban on cell phones during the school day for the 2025-26 school year. Her testimony was similar to the experience in New York state, which implemented a similar statewide bell-to-bell policy starting in September. Graham said staff have seen more face-to-face interaction among students, particularly in the cafeteria, during independent work time or classroom downtime.

Some students have chosen to replace study halls with elective classes since they could no longer be on their cell phones during study hall, while Graham said there has been a decline in reports of bullying and conflicts among students.

Jeff Ney, vice president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, said teachers’ opinions have changed over the past 18 months to a general consensus that cell phones should be restricted in classrooms. The association has signaled support for Senate Bill 1014, which was introduced recently in the state Senate to regulate student cell phone use while allowing school districts to tailor their own policies. The association is asking lawmakers to adopt bell-to-bell restrictions on cell phone use and possession, include both smartphones and personal mobile devices like smart watches in the ban and then allow school districts to decide how to meet those requirements.

Republican Senator Devlin Robinson and Democrats Vince Hughes and Steve Santarsiero are sponsoring Senate Bill 1014. The bill would require schools to implement all-day cellphone-free policies, with reasonable exceptions including: students with medical conditions; students with individualized education plans requiring the use of a personal communication device; English language learners who rely on translation apps; and limited teacher-approved instructional use with approval from the school principal.

House Rep. Mandy Steele has introduced H.B. 1814, bipartisan legislation that would prohibit students in public schools from using or possessing a cell phone during the school day. Students would be required to secure their phones in a way that prevents access until the end of the day, with exceptions for certain emergency and medical needs approved by school authorities.

While there was much testimony in favor of limiting cell phones in schools, Rapp said she still has concerns, including the cost of any potential storage solutions, such as lockboxes; deciding who takes responsibility if a student’s phone is lost, stolen or damaged while in the school’s possession; and a parent’s right to be able to contact their child in case of an emergency. Any legislation would need to account for certain exceptions that include medical issues, students for whom English is a second language and who use cell phones to translate; and students with special education plans. The Warren Republican also said she has concerns over the state influencing an area that has traditionally been a parent’s responsibility.

Rapp, for her part, said after the hearing that decisions about cell phones should ultimately be left to parents.

“In the end, parents can limit where their children can take their phones, and if a parent doesn’t want their child to take their phone to school, that is a decision the parent can make,” Rapp said. “Each school district is in a better position to know what type of policy fits their district and their students. The best course of action may be to enact a law to require each school district to have a cell phone policy, so that ultimately the policy is up to each school district.”