Jesse Scheckner
A bill to expand Florida’s existing prohibition on in-class student cellphone use to almost every area of school grounds just passed with uniform support in the House, but its future is uncertain.
Representatives voted 117-0 for HB 949, which would ban students from using their mobile devices throughout the school day, rather than just during instructional time.
There would be some exceptions. Schools would be required to designate areas on campus where students can use their phones with permission from a school administrator.
Students with individualized education plans, 504 plans or documented medical needs would also be able to use their devices in accordance with their plans.
That second allowance came through an amendment that the bill’s sponsor, Coral Gables Republican Rep. Demi Busatta, added before the House floor vote Wednesday. It prompted appreciative comments from Democratic Reps. Christine Hunschofsky of Parkland and Angie Nixon of Jacksonville, who raised concerns about the legislation.
Lake Worth Democratic Rep. Debra Tendrich filed, but then withdrew, another amendment that would have also made exceptions for minors who are responsible for the care of family members. She said she would work to make the change in the future.
Busatta’s bill would update a law (HB 379) the Legislature unanimously approved two years ago that, among other things, forbids students from using their cellphones during class time except for educational purposes as directed by a teacher.
School administrators from across Florida gave lawmakers mostly positive feedback in January about the relatively new law, which more than a dozen states have since copied.
Some school districts, like Orange County, have taken the state restrictions further and imposed bell-to-bell bans.
Nathan Hoffman, Senior Legislative Director for the education-focused Foundation for Florida’s Future nonprofit, said the results are eye-opening. High schools in the district saw a 31% drop in fighting and a 21% decline in serious misconduct. Middle schools saw a 58% decrease in fighting and a 28% reduction in gross insubordination. The district overall also saw a 158% decrease in school threats.
Notably, HB 949 is without a Senate companion. Its closest analog is a bill (SB 1296) by Zephyrhills Republican Sen. Danny Burgess that would require a state study of banning cellphones in six school districts during the 2025-26 school year.
The Senate can either take up HB 949 directly or assign it to committees and vote on it in full once it reaches the chamber floor. It could also amend one of its bills, likely SB 1296, to include HB 949’s language. Or the Senate could introduce a companion bill, a rare act that usually occurs only with high-priority legislation.
If no Senate action is taken and no bill is amended to serve as a vehicle for HB 949, the bill will die.
