The bill, called the FOCUS Act, passed by a vote of 30-2. It had already passed the House of Representatives.
It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey, who can sign it into law. Ivey said during her State of the State address in February that she supported the bill.
The bill, by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, says that starting with the 2025-2026 school year, “no student may possess a wireless communication device in any public elementary or secondary school building or on the grounds thereof during the instructional day unless the wireless communication device is turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car, or similar storage location.”
Officials have said many Alabama school systems already have such policies, but some do not.
The State Board of Education passed a resolution urging local systems to adopt a policy limiting the use of cell phones by students in schools.
The bill requires all local systems to adopt a policy in line with the classroom phone ban by July 1, 2025.
The bill also requires school systems to adopt a policy for students to safely use the Internet.
And it requires the State Department of Education to develop a digitally delivered course on the risks of using social media and how to do so safely.
The ban on cell phone usage carries a couple of exceptions, including for emergencies and if phones are used as part of a student’s individual education plan, such as for a special needs student.
Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Baldwin County, proposed an amendment to allow an exception for students to call or text their parents.
Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, the Senate sponsor of the bill, opposed the amendment.
Chesteen said students can contact their parents through the school office. He said the no-phone policies have worked well in systems that have used them.
The Senate rejected the amendment 22-9.
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