BALTIMORE — A proposed bill aims to ban cell phone use in Maryland schools.
House Bill 192 would prohibit students from using a cell phone during school hours except for specific circumstances.
Under the proposed bill, elementary and middle school students would be prohibited from using their cell phones during instructional time, student lunch periods, and passing periods—or the time before and between classes when students move from one class to another.
Counties would establish disciplinary actions for students who violate the policy. Cell phones confiscated from students would be retrieved by the student’s parent or guardian or returned to the student at the end of the school.
The proposed legislation is similar to a policy proposed to the Howard County school board in December 2024, which gained support from teachers who expressed a need for stronger cell phone consequences. The proposed ban in Howard County would allow teachers to confiscate cell phones, something not explicitly allowed under current policy.
A survey conducted by Howard County Public Schools revealed that parents, students, and school staff agreed cell phones are a distraction in the classroom, but that they should also be accessible in case of emergency. The survey also said that technology including smartwatches and cellphones should be treated the same.
Howard County school board members said they still need time to finalize details before making a decision on the ban.
