Lawmakers Consider Statewide School Cellphone Ban, Sparking Debate Among Students

by Kellyn Kolber, The Active Voice

As early as next school year, Connecticut public school students could find their phones silenced from the first bell to the last.

Two bills moving through the legislature — House Bills 5149 and 5035 — would require districts to implement “bell-to-bell” cellphone bans, leaving local school boards to determine how the policies are enforced. While the two bills are largely similar, HB 5035 specifies accommodations for special circumstances, including individualized education plans or a physician’s permission.

In an interview, state Rep. Jennifer Leeper, a Fairfield Democrat who co-chairs the Education Committee, spoke in support of both bills, saying that the research speaks for itself.