The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Expands School Cellphone Ban to Cover Entire School Day Starting July 2026
Last action · March 18, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Lincoln Fillmore and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
Utah law now prohibits students from using cellphones, smart watches, and emerging technologies during the entire school day rather than only during instructional time, effective July 1, 2026. The legislation establishes exemptions for emergencies, medical necessities, and individualized education plans, while allowing local education agencies to set additional limitations or specific accommodation policies.
Students across Utah public schools lose the legal right to use personal electronic devices during non-instructional times such as lunch periods, recess, and class transitions unless local school districts explicitly adopt permissive policies or specific statutory exceptions apply.
- Utah previously restricted student cell phone use during classroom instructional hours under Section 53G-7-227. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
students
Students are prohibited from using cellphones, smart watches, and emerging technologies during the entire school day rather than only during instructional hours.
Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
LEAs must establish policies allowing device use for specified emergencies, medical needs, and accommodation requests, and have the authority to impose additional limitations.
parents
Parents gain the right to request an accommodation to allow their student to briefly use a device in a designated school area during non-instructional time.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are students allowed to use cellphones under the new law?
Can school districts ban phones during lunch and recess?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
57 actions- Mar 18, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 11, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 11, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 3, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 3, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 2, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 51 earlier actions
- Mar 2, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 26, 2026SenateSenate/ concurs with House amendment
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Feb 25, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ floor amendment
- Feb 25, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Feb 19, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0069S02
- Feb 19, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0069S02
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Feb 19, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 18, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0069S02
- Feb 18, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0069S02
- Feb 5, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 3, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 3, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 3, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 3, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 3, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Jan 30, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Jan 30, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Jan 22, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0069S01
- Jan 22, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0069S01
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Jan 22, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Jan 21, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 21, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Jan 21, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0069S01
- Jan 21, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0069S01
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 16, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 16, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0069
- Jan 16, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0069
- Jan 7, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0069
- Jan 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0069
- Jan 2, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 2, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Restrictive Window
The bill shifts the regulatory focus from classroom instruction hours to the broader school day schedule, including lunch and recess.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools