Sen. Romney introduces bipartisan legislation to reduce phone usage in schools

Sen. Romney speaks during a Navajo Nation water rights event in May 2022. Photo: Sen. Mitt Romney

WASHINGTON – Before Senator Romney vacates his office in November, the Utah Senator recently introduced a bipartisan bill which, if passed, would attempt to reduce the usage of smartphones in school classrooms across the country.

The bill, titled the Smart Kids not Smartphones Act, was introduced in the Senate by Romney and Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut.

“There is no question that smartphones are a major distraction to students in the classroom,” Senator Romney said. “They also contribute to deteriorating mental health, social isolation, and cyberbullying among our youth.”

Romney cites a study by Common Sense Media for context of the bill, which found that 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds used their phones during the school day, with a median time of 43 minutes.

“Our bill would encourage schools to institute policies which would prohibit the use of smartphones during class time, while still allowing for reasonable exceptions for emergencies, educational activities, and students with exceptional needs.”

If passed, the bill would hopefully inspire schools to cut back on students screen times in school by establishing a “non-competitive, non-monetary recognition award program” administered by the Department of Education.

The award would include a “banner or website badge” for winning schools, as well as recognition for any school that enforces a policy banning smartphone use by students during instructional hours, with exceptions for emergencies, educational instruction, enrichment activities, and children with disabilities.

If school districts and state education agencies have 100 percent buy-in from the schools in their district, they will also receive the award from the Department of Education.

In addition to establishing an award system to incentivize schools, Romney’s proposed legislation would also seek to instruct relevant federal agencies to publish guidance on smartphone use policies and enforcement mechanisms for schools to be able to use.

“Smartphones in the classroom are a massive distraction from learning and socializing with other students, and feed into our kids’ addiction to technology,” Sen. Murphy said.

“There are plenty of schools, including in Connecticut, that have seen improved student mental health and academic outcomes after implementing policies that limit phones in the classroom. This simple bipartisan bill would recognize schools that implement smartphone bans during instructional time as well as provide transparency and give students and parents the opportunity to share input on those policies.”

Sen. Romney’s efforts to limit cell phone usage in schools coincides with Governor Cox’s efforts in Utah, as he has been a vocal proponent of limiting cell phones in the classroom.

While Utah does not have a statewide law or regulation on phones in school, Gov. Cox has sent several letters to principals, school board members, and members of the Utah State Board of Education advocating for the removal of cell phones from the classroom.

“Cell phone-free learning environments will help our teachers teach and our students learn. We want to give our schools every opportunity to succeed and so I hope our local school districts and charter schools will join me in this effort to keep phones in backpacks or lockers during class time,” Gov. Cox said.