Kaine & Cotton Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Study Effects of Cellphones in Schools on Academic Performance and Student Mental Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, alongside Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Focus on Learning Act, legislation that would require the Surgeon General to complete a study on the effects of cellphone use in K-12 classrooms on students’ mental health, educational outcomes, and academic performance. 

The senators first introduced the legislation in 2023. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order for cellphone-free education in Virginia, which went into effect on January 1, 2025.

“We need to do more to ensure students can excel in the classroom, and part of this means digging into how cellphone use in schools is impacting students’ mental health and their ability to learn and form relationships with their peers. I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to provide us with more information on cellphone use, so schools and parents can make the best decisions to set kids up for success. I’m also glad that our work on this issue has already generated interest at the state and local level around the nation,” said Kaine.

The Focus on Learning Act would authorize $5 million annually to fund a pilot program over the next five years. Schools participating in the pilot program would be required to have a communication system in place that allows teachers, administrators, and staff to communicate with local emergency responders. The legislation would require a report on the findings of the pilot program to be submitted to Congress and made publicly available. The legislation would allow exceptions for students who have a disability, need mobile devices to monitor or treat health conditions, or are learning English as second language for translation purposes.

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

Full text of the bill is available here.

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