DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a bill signing event at the Capitol Wednesday for legislation that restricts cell phone use in Iowa classrooms during instructional time.

Restricting cell phone use in classrooms was a priority for Gov. Reynolds this legislative session. In her Condition of the State Address, Reynolds spoke about how educators told her their concerns about smartphones causing distractions in classrooms.

“That’s why I’m proposing legislation that requires schools keep instructional time free from digital distractions, at a minimum,” said Reynolds in her address. “Of course, there will be common sense exemptions, like during an emergency. But the evidence is in and it’s time to act.”

The final version of the legislation, signed by the Governor, directs the Iowa Department of Education to develop model policies governing student use of personal electronic devices and distribute them to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools and innovation zone schools.

Local school boards will ultimately adopt their own policies, but they must meet many requirements set by the state that restrict the use of electronic devices during classroom instructional time. They include setting up policies for how electronic devices will be securely stored during class, how parents and students can communicate during emergency situations, and specifying disciplinary actions for students’ use of electronic devices that violate the policy.

At Wednesday’s bill signing, Gov. Reynolds said, “The data tells a concerning story. Gen Z spends six hours a day on their phones, and that’s nearly 40% of their awake time. And according to the Pew Research Center, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say that cell phone distraction for students is a major problem in the classroom.”

Ottumwa Schools were one of the districts that were ahead of the legislation and eliminated cell phones entirely during the school day this past year.

Superintendent Mike McCorry spoke about the results at the bill signing, saying they far exceeded expectations.

“They were truly profound and just remarkable. We also, by eliminating those learning distractions for our students, it allowed the following three things. Allowed first, for our students to refocus on their learning, focus on their mental health. And also, and this is so important, building meaningful face-to-face relationships with each other,” said McCorry.

School districts must have their policies in place by July 1st, 2025.