LANSING — The Michigan Legislature is considering dueling bills to prohibit cell phone use in classrooms across the state.
A Republican-backed House bill — HB 4141 — would prohibit students in grades K-5 from possessing phones on school grounds, and students in grades 6-8 would be allowed to have their phone but not use it.
High schoolers would only be banned from using their phone in class automatically, but school districts could put additional restrictions in place.
A similar Democratic-supported Senate bill — SB 234 — doesn’t distinguish between grades and leaves more of the restrictions up to each district.
The proposal includes exceptions for emergencies, medical use and devices used in individualized education programs. It also gives principals the option to grant more exceptions.
Supporters of the restrictions say that students could see benefits ranging from better focus in class to less anxiety over social media.
“Powerful devices in the hands of developing brains without proper guardrails do come at a cost, loss of focus, engagement, connection, learning, social and emotional well-being,” said Jenn Wilson, a counselor in the Avondale School District. “The impact this bill will have will protect the development of our students’ brains.”
Neither of the proposals has been voted on by lawmakers yet.
The bills also don’t yet contain details on the enforcement of the policies, nor do they have details on how or where phones would be kept.
The Senate policy would be set to go into effect with the 2025-26 school year in September, but lawmakers say they could push its implementation further down the road.
