Legislation to ban the use of cell phones by students from bell-to-bell officially passed both chambers in the Illinois Capitol on Sunday, sending the bill to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.
Having passed the Senate in April 2025, the governor urged lawmakers to progress it forward before the end of this session.
After months of disagreements and negotiations between lawmakers and stakeholders, leading to multiple amendments, the House voted to pass the measure in mid-April, when it was sent back to the Senate.
All was quiet on the bill until the final week of session, when it was assigned to the Senate Education committee.
According to Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin and one of the many Senate sponsors, changes to the plan include when and how the rule will be required to be implemented by school districts.
“[The amendment] moves the implementation date from 2026-2027 school year to 2027-2028 school year,” Castro said.
