December 23, 2025
Damian Giletto/Imagn Images
A bill banning cellphones and smartwatches in New Jersey schools passed both legislative chambers and now awaits Gov. Phil Murphy's signature. This file photo show a cellphone holder at a school in Delaware.
Students using their phones or smart watches during school hours could soon be a thing of the past in New Jersey under a bill approved by both legislative chambers Monday.
Supporters of the legislation say they are driven by concerns over the mental health of students and over disruptions to the learning environment caused by internet-enabled devices. It passed unanimously in the Senate, and in the Assembly, it passed 63-3 with five abstentions.
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"Students benefit from having a bell-to-bell prohibition on cellphones. I think it's that clear and that simple, and I think that's what we did today," Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) told reporters.
The Department of Education would be required to develop new guidelines barring cellphones during the school day under the bill, which is now headed to the governor's desk for his signature or veto. Gov. Phil Murphy, who leaves office on Jan. 20 after two terms, has made banning cellphones in schools a priority of his final year as governor.
The New Jersey effort is part of a national trend. Nearly half of states now have restrictions on students' use of phones during classroom instruction.
Bill critic Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-Morris) said regulating tech in schools should be left to local districts instead of being driven by lawmakers who belong to what he called a "dinosaur caucus." Bergen compared the bill to "stupid" efforts decades ago to criminalize pagers in schools.
"Here's another attempt to do that. And this isn't the first, or second, or third time. Calculators back in the day were going to make kids stupid. How could they do basic math?" he said. "If it was up to you'd probably bring back the slide rule."
Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn (R-Monmouth), a supporter of the bill, said she has visited schools with different cellphone policies and said students who can't access their phones during class are less anxious and more engaged with their work.
"The data is pretty clear. It's been screaming at us that we have to do something about it," said Flynn, a former school board member in Nutley and Holmdel.
Under the bill, state education officials would release guidelines aimed at student use of internet-enabled devices like cellphones and smartwatches during regular school hours and on school grounds. It would apply to all students from kindergarten through grade 12 in public, charter, and renaissance schools.
The state education commissioner would have 90 days after the bill is signed into law to release the guidelines. The new rules would go into effect the following full school year, so the soonest would be the 2026-2027 school year.
At a minimum, the state guidelines would have to: prohibit non-academic use of internet-enabled devices on school grounds; provide rules that are age- and grade-appropriate; be consistent with state and federal laws for accommodations and student health plans; and address how students can use phones during emergencies.
The guidelines would permit cellphone use for some uses, like for translation services.
School boards would have the option to allow students to store their devices in locked pouches or lockers during the day. And schools would also receive guidance on establishing network-based restrictions to block access to social media.
New Jersey Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
