Less Distraction.
More Focus.
Distraction-Free Schools CA is a growing bipartisan coalition of parents, educators, medical and mental health professionals united in calling for legislative action and policy changes to address the overuse of smartphones, social media, and ed tech in California schools
Big News! CA Assembly Introduces Bell-to-Bell Phone Bill
The text for AB 1644 has been released and it amends and appeals the Phone Free Schools legislation from 2024. If passed, the new bill would require school districts to adopt bell-to-bell phone policies by July 2027.
"The governing board of a school district, a county board of education, and the governing body of a charter school shall, no later than July 1, 2027, develop and adopt, and shall update every five years, a policy that prohibits the use of smartphones by pupils while the pupils are at a schoolsite...The goal of the policy shall be to create a bell-to-bell ban of smartphone use to support pupil learning and well-being."
The bill was introduced by Asm. Muratsuchi (D), Asm. Josh Hoover (R), Asm. Josh Lowenthal (D) and Asm. Buffy Wicks (D) and co-authored by Sen. Roger Niello (R). Their involvement demonstrates the already strong bi-partisan support for this bill.
Please sign our Letter of Support now. Your signature will show legislators how much public backing this bill has.
California Falls Behind on Phone-Free Schools
California received a D grade on the Phone-Free Schools Report Card. While 25 states have already adopted bell-to-bell phone restrictions to better protect students, California schools are left navigating a patchwork of inconsistent policies and uneven enforcement.
The result? Students across the state are not receiving the same level of focus, safety, and support in their learning environments.
2026 Legislative Priorities
With the Phone Free Schools Act now passed, districts are beginning to reduce smartphone distraction but digital distraction and overuse persists through mandated use of 1:1 devices (iPads and Chromebooks), the introduction of generative AI tools and growing reliance on online learning platforms.
We are urging legislators to consider the following priorities to protect student well-being and instructional quality:
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Ed Tech & Device Transparency — Require districts to disclose all digital tools, data practices, and student screen time; protect families’ right to opt out of 1:1 devices; and allow teachers to decline use of ed tech they find to be developmentally-inappropriate or pedagogically unsound.
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Temporary K–8 Ban on Generative AI — Block all generative-AI tools on school-issued devices for two years while the State Board of Education conducts opt-in research to assess safety, efficacy, and impact on learning.
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Paper-Based Testing for Young Learners — Provide paper state assessments for elementary students to alleviate the pressure on districts to maintain early 1:1 device use in order to prepare students for online testing.
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Social Media–Free Schools — Introduce a model bill to ensure that schools are not encouraging social media use during or after the instructional day. No child should be put in a position where they have to own a smartphone or have a social media account because of their school.
