Senate Bill 69 may be the one piece of proposed legislation in 2026 that any Utah kid old enough to own a cellphone likely holds an opinion about.
So perhaps it’s apt that SB69 is being tackled during the opening days of the 2026 Legislature.
That bill, of course, enhances the state’s current default K-12 cellphone policy by prohibiting cellphones in school from opening bell to closing bell. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill restricting cellphones during class time — while allowing schools or districts to opt for a different standard.
But many — including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox — said simply restricting students from using their cellphones during class instruction didn’t go far enough.
“I am convinced, more than ever, that a ‘bell-to-bell’ cellphone ban is the single most important thing that we can do for our students in our schools today,” said Cox earlier this month when announcing the enhanced cellphone policy.
The enhanced bill’s co-sponsor — Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan — said during Wednesday’s Senate Education Committee meeting that his proposal is not a state-mandated “cellphone ban.”
“But rather,” added Fillmore, “it recognizes that cellphones are ever-present. If the state does nothing, then we’re putting this entirely on schools to decide.”
If ratified, SB69 would enhance the state’s default policy by prohibiting student cellphone use — “bell-to-bell.”
“However, the bill empowers school districts to craft the policy that is right for every school district — but to do so in a way that frames the question as: ‘How can we integrate this technology into our education to make it more meaningful and more helpful so that students and families can thrive?’.”
Said Committee member Sen. Mike McKell of SB69: “This is arguably one of the most significant bills of the entire session. … We are long overdue.”
‘Heavy-handed’ legislation?
Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, cast Wednesday’s lone vote against sending the “bell-to-bell” cellphone prohibition bill for full Senate consideration, calling it “heavy-handed.”
Riebe said violence remains a problem in schools — and students having access to cellphones may present a remedy. “If you have a student that feels threatened or they feel uncomfortable at school, their phone is their lifeline.”
Utah K-12 students who are learning English also rely upon cellphones during class as translation tools, argued Riebe, adding that the default policy forces teachers to police their classroom.
“I think that there are a lot of kids that are using their phones really wisely,” said Riebe. “I have two phones, and when somebody asks me a question, and I don’t understand what they asked, I Google it right away.
“Now why would we take a tool like that away from our kids?”
Responding to Riebe’s concerns, Fillmore said that the bill articulates allowances for cellphone use during school emergencies — emphasizing that any school district “may establish any policy for any other circumstance when a student may use a cellphone. … Every school district is empowered to make that decision locally.”
Committee meeting: Broad public support for ‘bell-to-bell’
Several people participated in the public comment period Wednesday — with all expressing support for the “bell-to-bell” cellphone prohibition.
Liddy Johnson, a senior at Layton’s Northridge High School, said she has experienced school “with and without cellphones.” During her first couple years of high school, Johnson used only a flip phone. She remembers being more focused “and more present” during her classes.
“I wasn’t distracted by notifications, social media or the internet — and my attention was on my teachers and my schoolwork. And I learned better because of it.”
When Johnson switched to a smartphone she noticed a difference. Focusing and paying attention in class became challenging. She saw the same thing happening with her peers.
“The second that classes end, everybody’s straight on their phones — and they aren’t staying engaged in school,” Johnson said. “A ‘bell-to-bell’ ban on cell phones is about creating a better learning environment.”
Kathleen Barlow is a mother, grandmother, educator and a founding member of the Smartphone Free Childhood/U.S.
Some people, she said, argue that students need access to their phones to best learn how to manage their phone usage. “I would propose that the best way we can help our kids learn how to manage their phones is to learn how to be comfortable staying off of them.”