COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTAP) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is calling on state lawmakers to pass a bill banning cell phones from public schools.
During a news conference Tuesday, the governor threw his support behind Senate Bill 158. The legislation sponsored by State Senator Jane Timken would require public school district policies prohibit cell phone use during the instructional day.
Schools must adopt these cell phone policies by September 1 2025.
DeWine said such policies are necessary to ensure students aren’t being distracted by phones during valuable instructional time.
“Evidence clearly shows from what we’ve seen from across the state that every school in the state needs to ban the phones,” DeWine said. It’s time for us to finish the job. It’s time to ban cell phones in every Ohio school. Senator Timken’s bill will do just that.”
According to the legislation, some exemptions to the blanket phone ban would exist for cellphone use for educational or health related purposes.
The bill follows a piece of legislation approved last year that required schools develop policies governing cellphone use.
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