Maryland General Assembly Considers Phone-Free Schools Act

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A bill that would require local school systems across Maryland to adopt policies limiting student use of electronic communication devices during the school day is under consideration during the 2026 legislative session.

The Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act (HB 525) was introduced on Jan. 27, 2026, and assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee. The legislation would require each county board of education to develop and implement a policy restricting students’ use of electronic communication devices during the academic school day, except under specified circumstances, according to the bill’s text.

Under the bill, county boards must establish these policies by a designated school year and could include provisions such as limiting device use to noninstructional periods or requiring devices to be stored securely during school hours. Exemptions would be established for certain documented needs, such as use related to a student’s individualized education program, monitoring a documented health issue, emergency events, or when directed by an educator for purposes related to coursework.

HB 525 builds on similar proposals from the 2025 session, including House Bill 630 and its sister Senate Bill 368, which sought to require local school systems to adopt cell phone use policies by the 2026–27 school year. Those measures included comparable exceptions for health needs and educational use and aimed to limit use during “instructional time,” typically defined as periods outside of lunch or noninstructional breaks.

During the 2025 session, some statewide education organizations expressed opposition to similar legislation, citing concerns that local school districts had already undertaken efforts to develop policies tailored to their communities and should retain flexibility rather than be subject to broad statewide mandates. The 2025 legislation did not advance.

As of early February 2026, HB 525 is pending before the House Ways and Means Committee, with hearing information listed on the General Assembly’s legislative agenda.