Gov. Bob Ferguson released details of his proposed Phone-Free Schools Act at a Spokane event on October 2, 2026. The governor’s office said he plans to prefile the governor-request bill on December 7 for the upcoming legislative session. The proposal would establish a statewide restriction on students’ personal electronic devices throughout the school day, beginning in the 2027-28 school year. It has not yet been enacted.
Storage, exceptions and parent contact
The published draft requires devices to be off and placed in secure, inaccessible storage. Options include district-provided or approved locked pouches, main-office lock boxes, a designated classroom location, or another secure system that prevents student access. Backpacks do not qualify as the designated classroom location.
The restriction covers instructional time and lunch, while excluding extracurricular activities before or after school. It reaches smartphones, smartwatches, tablets and other connected personal devices; school-issued educational equipment and qualifying medical devices are excluded. The draft also applies the policy to charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools.
Exceptions cover documented medical needs, educational or assistive-technology needs specified in an IEP or Section 504 plan when no reasonable alternative exists, and approved access for student caregivers or students whose safety is documented as at risk. Districts would also have to establish procedures for parents and guardians to contact their children during the school day.
For 2027-28, the draft bars suspension or expulsion solely for violating the device policy. It calls for subsequent enforcement to comply with student-discipline and disability law. The draft contains no appropriation for storage equipment. Its effective-date clause is July 1, 2027; the school-policy requirement begins with the following school year.
How the proposal changes current law
Washington’s current law, Substitute Senate Bill 5346, was approved on March 25, 2026. It permits school boards to adopt mobile-device restrictions and encourages them to consider state recommendations; it does not impose Ferguson’s proposed full-day mandate. The law expresses a goal of enabling every district to implement a bell-to-bell cellphone policy suited to its community by 2030.
That law also directs the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to report to the Legislature by December 15, 2027, on school policies, implementation barriers and evidence-based recommendations. Ferguson’s proposal would move from local permission toward a mandatory statewide minimum, with districts choosing storage and contact procedures within the statutory requirements.
A national policy shift
The governor’s October 2 announcement said at least 31 states and the District of Columbia restrict student cellphone use in schools, including 22 states with restrictions throughout the school day. It attributed those counts to Education Week. The announcement argued that a statewide rule would reduce classroom distractions and strengthen student engagement.
New York offers one example of how a state has addressed implementation costs. Its governor’s office says the FY2026 budget provided $13.5 million for storage solutions as part of New York’s school-day cellphone restrictions. New York’s guidance requires adequate on-site storage and says backpacks do not meet that requirement. Washington’s published draft proposes storage requirements without a corresponding funding provision.