Governor Kathy Hochul today launched a website that provides resources for New York school districts as they prepare to implement bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones for the coming school year. The website, linked here, includes a policy FAQ, toolkit and examples that school districts can use to design their distraction-free policy, which must be published by August 1 as noted under State law. Many districts across the state have already developed and finalized distraction-free policies that benefit students, teachers, and parents -- and by highlighting these new resources, Governor Hochul continues the State's ongoing efforts to support all schools throughout the summer, in time for the 2025-26 school year.
“School districts across New York are already showing us that bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions help deliver the best possible learning environments for our kids,” Governor Hochul said. “As we prepare for the coming school year, my team is continuing to provide the necessary resources and tools to ensure school districts finalize and publish their distraction-free policy by the August 1 deadline.”
This new requirement will take place in the 2025-26 School Year and applies to all schools in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Under this law, all school districts must publish their distraction-free policy by August 1, so it is visible to the district’s community of students, parents and other key stakeholders.
Governor Hochul’s cellphone policy creates a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in New York including:
Governor Hochul’s policy clarifies that students will have authorized access to simple cellphones without internet capability, as well as internet-enabled devices officially provided by their school for classroom instruction, such as laptops or tablets used as part of lesson plans.
Additionally, the Governor’s policy includes several exemptions to smartphone restrictions, including for students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, where required by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), for academic purposes, or for other legitimate purposes, such as translation, family caregiving and emergencies.
State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I applaud Governor Hochul for providing financial and implementation resources to school districts as they draft their individual cellphone policies. We know how detrimental cellphone use is to students’ mental health, academic success, social interaction, and emotional stress. The Legislature has been a partner in these efforts, and as Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I am confident these changes will make a meaningful change in the lives of our students, school staff, and our communities. I appreciate the Governor’s commitment to supporting our school districts, parents and children as they implement this new law, and I look forward to hearing from school districts and students about the results of these new policies.”
Governor Hochul pursued this initiative after engaging in a statewide listening tour with teachers, parents, and students. Her report “More Learning, Less Scrolling: Creating Distraction-Free Schools” underscores the following: