Cell phone use in schools prohibition

SF 508 requires Minnesota school districts and charter schools to adopt cell phone policies by March 2025, with specific restrictions taking effect in the 2026-2027 school year. It prohibits cell phones and smart watches for students in grades K-8 throughout school, and in classrooms for grades 9-12, with exceptions for medical devices, individualized education programs (IEPs), or principal discretion. The bill appropriates funds for a statewide campaign about screen time effects (to be delivered to parents from early childhood through grade 12) and one-time implementation grants for schools to adopt these policies, covering onetime expenses like technology or training but not ongoing costs. The policy directly affects all K-12 public school students and school staff in Minnesota.