Gov. Hobbs signs bill to limit cellphone use in Arizona schools
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed a bill aimed at limiting cellphone usage in public schools.
“Education requires attention, and attention is exactly what today’s students are being robbed of by addictive devices and endless scrolling,” said Rep. Beverly Pingerelli (R-LD 28), the bill’s sponsor. “We’ve drawn a clear line: Arizona classrooms are for learning, not TikTok. Teachers can finally reclaim their classrooms, and parents can feel confident their kids are actually focused on school—not their screens.”
The signing of House Bill 2484 comes months after Arizona State Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Horne detailed a plan to ban cell phones in classrooms.
The law still allows for using such devices for “educational purposes,” during an emergency, or if the student has a medical condition requiring contact between a parent and student during the school day.
“I mean beyond the cyberbullying you have access to drugs and alcohol. The phones are the way the kids are getting into the bathroom and saying meet me in here. I have the vape, I have the marijuana,” Valley parent Katey McPherson said.
The new law outlines restrictions to social media and internet access as well as texting or calling on wireless devices (that includes personal phones or computers and iPads provided by the school).
“Imagine being a teacher and trying to teach a class while students were scrolling on their cellphones. That this has been permitted is outrageous,” Horne in a news conference last August. “It decreases student learning significantly and makes life hard for teachers who already have heavy burdens. No teacher should have to compete against phones for the attention of students.”
Last year, Hobbs vetoed a bill to create statewide rules regarding cellphones and other electronic devices on campus. At the time, the governor said it was unnecessary, claiming schools were doing enough to address the problem.
“The cell phone bill has been one of my highest priorities at the legislature,” Horne said. “Instead of looking at their cell phones and not learning what the teachers are teaching, they can pay attention to the teacher, learn what they need to.” He believes the bill will improve test scores as well.
A 2024 Pew Research survey of high school teachers found that more than 70% view student distraction from cell phones as a “major problem.”
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