Pennsylvania phone-free school bill (2026): Pennsylvania's Senate passed a bell-to-bell phone-free schools bill in February 2026; it builds on a 2024 $100M pouch grant fund. Here's what administrators need to know about compliance, scope, and enforcement.
Pennsylvania has an active phone-free school bill moving through the legislature. SB 1014 (2026, Senate-passed) would require Pennsylvania schools to adopt phone restrictions starting 2027–28 school year (if enacted). While the bill is pending, Pennsylvania districts retain full authority to set their own phone policies — and many already have.
What Pennsylvania's Proposed Phone Bill Would Require
- • Bill: SB 1014 — passed Senate 46–1 on February 3, 2026
- • House: Education Committee reported the bill April 28, 2026
- • Proposed effective date: 2027–28 school year
- • Builds on 2024 $100M pouch grant fund
- • Backed by Gov. Josh Shapiro
Why Pennsylvania Schools Are Acting Now
Even without a state mandate, Pennsylvania districts that move proactively report fewer disciplinary referrals, higher classroom focus, and stronger parent communication. Waiting for legislation often means scrambling later.
Three enforcement models
- • Physical pouches (e.g., Yondr): high per-student cost, daily distribution logistics, and limited compliance data.
- • District storage (lockers, cubbies, classroom caddies): lowest cost but relies on staff to police compliance.
- • Device-level software (LockedIn): OS-level locking, geofencing, and automated compliance reporting — no daily logistics.
Why Pennsylvania schools choose LockedIn
LockedIn is a software-based phone-free campus solution built for Pennsylvania's schools. It provides
OS-level device locking,
campus geofencing, real-time monitoring, and automated compliance reports — exactly what Pennsylvania administrators need to demonstrate that the policy is being enforced. Unlike physical pouches, there's no hardware to lose, replace, or distribute. See our full
comparison of phone-free campus solutions or the
LockedIn vs Yondr pouches guide.
Verify the law in Pennsylvania
Read the primary source — SB 1014 (2026, Senate-passed) — and confirm the latest guidance with your state agency before adopting policy.
See our complete phone-free school laws by state directory for legislation updates across all 50 states + DC.
Get started
Pennsylvania schools can be phone-free in less than a day with LockedIn. Use our free phone-free school policy generator to draft a compliant policy, then contact our team to deploy district-wide.