Illinois Legislature Sends Bell-to-Bell Student Phone Ban to Governor

Overview

• The Illinois General Assembly approved Senate Bill 2427 on Sunday and sent the measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has signaled he will sign it.
• The law requires each school board to adopt a policy banning student use of personal electronic devices during class time and to provide secure, accessible storage for devices during instruction.
• The statute lists narrow exceptions for teacher-directed use, medical needs or Individualized Education Plans, and emergencies, and it allows districts to partially exempt high school students during lunch and passing periods.
• Coverage and sponsors conflict on the start date for local policies, with some reports saying policies must be in place for the 2026–2027 school year and a sponsor saying an amendment moved implementation to 2027–2028; the bill also directs the State Board of Education to issue a template policy.
• The law contains no dedicated state funding for implementation, raising concerns that districts will absorb costs for enforcement or storage solutions and that local practice will vary widely, a point underscored by districts that already tried bans and by lawmakers who warned about preempting local control.