Alaska School Cell Phone Law (HB 57): What It Requires

Yes. Alaska has a statewide law on student phones in school. Alaska's HB 57 (AS 14.33.300) requires every district to regulate student phone possession and use in school hours, including lunch and passing periods. A school in a district without a policy may not let students use devices during those hours.

What HB 57 requires

• • Every school district must adopt a policy regulating possession and use of non-school-issued wireless devices during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods.
• • Each district must share the policy with parents or guardians, students, volunteers and school employees.
• • If the policy prohibits use, it must allow use for medical or translation purposes, in an emergency, and when a teacher or administrator permits educational use.
• • A school in a district that has not adopted a policy may not allow students to use devices during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods.
• • The law states that it does not authorize anyone to monitor, collect or access information about a student's device use (AS 14.33.300(b)).

The emergency wording for every state, D.C. and Puerto Rico is in school phone ban emergency exceptions by state.

The key provision, verbatim

“Each school district shall adopt a policy that regulates the possession and use of nonschool-issued wireless telecommunications devices during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods.”

Source: AS 14.33.300(a) (HB 57, sec. 14)

Timeline

1. May 19, 2025Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoes HB 57, an education bill that includes the device-policy section
2. May 20, 2025Legislature overrides the veto in joint session, 46–14; HB 57 becomes law
3. July 1, 2025AS 14.33.300 takes effect

Where phones must be kept

AS 14.33.300 regulates possession and use but does not say where devices must be kept, so storage is set by each district policy; subsection (b) adds that the law does not authorize monitoring or accessing information about student device use.

What the law says about student-device data

“This section does not authorize a person to monitor, collect, or access information related to a student's use of a wireless telecommunications device.”

Source: AS 14.33.300(b)

This page does not interpret the clause. Districts should have counsel review any tool that monitors, collects or accesses information from student devices before using it.

Checklist for Alaska administrators

1. Confirm the board-adopted policy covers both possession and use during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods.
2. Confirm the policy has been shared with parents or guardians, students, volunteers and school employees.
3. If the policy prohibits use, check that it allows medical, translation, emergency and teacher- or administrator-approved educational use.
4. Until a policy is adopted, apply the statutory default: no student device use during regular school hours.
5. Have district counsel review any tool that monitors, collects or accesses student device information against AS 14.33.300(b).

How Alaska districts are carrying it out

The law sets the floor; each district writes its own policy on top of it. Here is what one large Alaska district has adopted, from its own published policy:

• • Anchorage School District: Elementary and middle school students may not use phones at any time during the school day, including lunch and recess; high schoolers may use them in passing time and at lunch.