UNPLUGGED Act Mandates National Cell Phone Ban in Public Schools; Offers Grants for Secure Storage

The UNPLUGGED Act of 2025 is here to tell students across the country to put their phones away—permanently—during school hours. This bill mandates that every state education agency must establish and enforce a policy banning students from possessing or using personal electronic devices, like mobile phones and smartwatches, while they are at a public school during instructional time. The core argument, laid out in the bill’s findings, is that phones are messing up learning, lowering grades, and contributing to poor mental health stats for teens, citing research linking the rise of smartphones to increased anxiety and depression.

The New Normal: Zero Tolerance for Screens

Starting with the next school year, this policy becomes the minimum standard nationwide. If you have a kid in public school, they won't be able to keep their phone in their pocket or backpack. The bill defines “school hours” as the time instruction begins until the day officially ends. This means that text from a friend, a quick TikTok check, or even just having the phone buzz in a locker is officially off the table. The goal is simple: eliminate the distraction and get kids focused back on the chalkboard, or whatever passes for a chalkboard these days.

To make this work, the bill requires schools to figure out how to physically secure these devices. Think lockable lockers, secure lock boxes, or signal-blocking pouches. To help with the inevitable infrastructure costs, the Secretary of Education is tasked with setting up a new grant program. This is a big deal for districts, especially smaller ones, that might otherwise be scrambling to buy hundreds of secure storage units. If the grant money comes through quickly, it eases the burden; if it lags, schools might be stuck footing the bill initially.

Who Gets a Pass? The Necessary Exceptions

The bill isn't a blanket ban, recognizing that for some students, the device is necessary. It mandates four key exceptions. First, students with a certified medical or health condition requiring monitoring (like a glucose monitor app) can keep their device. Second, if a student has a disability and the device is written into their Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan as an accommodation, they are exempt. Third, English learners may be allowed to use a device on a case-by-case basis if it’s documented as necessary for instruction.

Crucially, the policy also has to include a plan for urgent parent communication. If you need to tell your child about a sudden change in pickup or an emergency, you must be able to contact them via school staff. This provision is intended to calm the fears of parents who rely on instant access, but it shifts the administrative burden of relaying those messages entirely onto school front offices and teachers.

What This Means for Everyday Life

For parents, this means a shift in routine. If your high schooler typically uses their phone to coordinate their ride home, they'll need to figure out a new plan before school starts, or rely on the school office phone. For teachers, this is a mixed bag: less distraction in the classroom is a huge win, but managing the logistics of collecting, storing, and returning hundreds of devices—and dealing with the inevitable disputes over lost or damaged phones—creates a massive new administrative load.

While the bill allows schools to authorize devices like laptops or tablets for instruction, it’s only if those devices are blocked from accessing social media, personal email, and other non-school apps during class. This means the school-issued device is safe, but the personal smartphone is not. The UNPLUGGED Act sets the floor, not the ceiling; states and local districts can make their rules even stricter, potentially banning phones from school grounds entirely, even before and after school hours. This legislation is a clear signal that federal policy is swinging hard toward prioritizing classroom focus over digital convenience, betting that a quiet classroom is the best prescription for better grades and healthier teens.