Other States
As of September 2026, 44 states have enacted some form of statewide K–12 cell phone policy — 22 states plus Washington, D.C. mandate full bell-to-bell for every grade. California only requires that a policy exist.
States with bell-to-bell laws
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
A few others (Florida, Illinois, Utah) have bell-to-bell in some form but not a full, unconditional K–12 mandate.
Featured
New York
Statewide bell-to-bell since 2025–26, $13.5M for storage, 2.5M students covered. A state survey of 585 educators found 76% saw better classroom behavior and 76% more engagement.
Oregon
Governor's executive order — all districts required to comply by Jan. 1, 2026.
New Jersey
Statewide law, signed Jan. 2026, full day including lunch and passing periods. $3M grant program funded 86 districts.
Virginia
State law explicitly defines "bell to bell" to include lunch and passing periods, not just class time.
New Hampshire
Statewide bell-to-bell for 2025–26. In a survey of nearly 1,500 teachers and almost 200 administrators, 77% of teachers and 88% of administrators called it effective at reducing distractions; about 60% saw students building stronger social skills.
Kansas
Statewide bell-to-bell since July 2026 — the newest law on this list, too recent yet for results.
New York and New Hampshire figures are self-reported educator perceptions from state surveys, not independently audited outcome data. NY source → · NH source →
States that only require a policy
Alaska, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Wyoming — plus California — leave the actual restriction level up to each district.