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This new legislation comes as a recent study reveals potential health risks for kids who start using smartphones before age 13.
SAN DIEGO — California will require every school district in the state to establish a policy limiting or banning smartphones on campus starting next year under the new “Phone Free School Act.”
The legislation comes as a recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals significant health risks associated with early smartphone use. The study found that children who receive their first smartphones at age 12 or younger face substantially higher risks for health problems.
“Compared to kids who do not have a smartphone at age 12, or by age 12, those who did have a smartphone had overall worse health outcomes, they had more chances of having depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep,” said Dr. Ran Barzilay, who co-authored the study.
“To have smartphones at a young age – I don’t think that’s appropriate,” said Sandra Tabbutt, a mother and grandmother who opposes smartphone use among children.
The new state law mandates that California school districts develop comprehensive policies addressing smartphone use on school grounds. Districts will have the flexibility to either limit smartphone access during certain hours or implement complete bans, depending on their individual needs and circumstances.
“I think it’s going to be super tough,” said mother Stephanie Tessman. “I think it’s just super easy to sneak them in, but I think it’s good if that’s what they want to do, especially just to keep kids focused on school and not distracted with everything else going on in the world.”
School districts across the state will need to finalize their smartphone policies before the law takes effect in July 2026.
This isn’t the only new education-focused law hitting the books here in California in 2026:
Starting next year, public K-12 schools must have at least one all-gender restroom on campus.
A new Office of Civil Rights will be established, including an anti-Semitism coordinator, to address discrimination in K-12 schools.
And the South Asian festival of Diwali will officially become a statewide holiday in 2026, impacting school calendars.
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