SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5346
As of January 29, 2026
Title: An act relating to improving student outcomes by restricting mobile device use by public school students.
Brief Description: Restricting mobile device usage by public school students.
Sponsors: Senators Liias, Harris, Shewmake, Dozier, Bateman, Christian, Frame, Hasegawa, King, Krishnadasan, Lovick, Nobles and Salomon.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 1/29/26.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Revises the definition of digital citizenship so that the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use includes student use of mobile devices.
  • Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to include research on student use of mobile devices and recommended best practice strategies for teaching students how to use their mobile devices responsibly in a web-based location with other digital citizenship and media literacy resources.
  • Tasks OSPI with submitting two reports summarizing the policies and procedures that have been adopted limiting student use of mobile devices and any implementation barriers, and to provide evidence-based recommendations related to this topic by December 15, 2028.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION
Staff: Ailey Kato (786-7434)
Background:

Digital Citizenship, Media Literacy, and Internet Safety.  In 2015, a non-exhaustive list of teacher-librarian duties were added to state law, which included instructing students in digital citizenship including how to be critical consumers of information and provide guidance about thoughtful and strategic use of online resources.

 

Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, school districts must annually review their policy and procedures on electronic resources and Internet safety and to consider best practices, resources, and models for instruction in digital citizenship, Internet safety, and media literacy, including methods to involve parents.

 

Digital citizenship includes the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use, including digital and media literacy, ethics, etiquette, and security. The term also includes the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, develop, produce, and interpret media, as well as Internet safety and cyberbullying prevention and response.

 

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) was directed to create a web-based location with links to recommended successful practices and resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety for use in the 2017-18 school year. OSPI must continue to identify and develop additional open educational resources to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety in schools for the web-based location.

 

In 2021, OSPI established a temporary grant program, subject to appropriations, to support media literacy and digital citizenship through school district leadership teams. OSPI was also directed to convene two regional conferences, subject to appropriations, on the topic of media literacy and digital citizenship.

 

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction Guidance on Cell Phones and Smart Devices in Schools. In 2024, OSPI published guidance on cell phones and smart devices in schools and encouraged school leaders to update their policies by the start of the 2025-26 school year. The guidance included policy considerations addressed instructional use, learning environment, student mental and physical health, accommodations, and safety and emergency use.

 

In 2025, OSPI conducted a survey about these policies. OSPI reported that 53 percent of districts who will have a policy in place by the start of the 2025-26 school year said their policy would restrict access to smart devices during instructional time only, while 31 percent said that devices must be put away for the entire school day. 
Summary of Bill:

The bill as referred to committee not considered.
Summary of Bill (Proposed Substitute):

Digital Citizenship, Media Literacy, and Internet Safety. The definition of digital citizenship is revised to include that the norms of appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior related to current technology use includes the use of mobile devices. "Mobile device" means any personal mobile telephone or other portable electronic communication device with which a user engages in a call or writes or sends a message, or any device in which the user plays a game or watches a video. Mobile device does not include school-issued devices.

 

In its web-based location to support digital citizenship, media literacy, and Internet safety, OSPI must include research on student use of mobile devices and recommended best practice strategies for teaching students how to use their mobile devices responsibly. OSPI must also distribute information to public schools on how to access the web-based location.

 

Report on Student Use of Mobile Devices. By December 15, 2026, OSPI must submit an initial report with:

  • a summary of the policies and procedures that have been adopted by public schools in Washington and in other states limiting student use of mobile devices during instructional hours; and
  • a summary of the barriers that public schools have experienced when implementing these policies and procedures.

 

By December 15, 2028, OSPI must submit a final report with:

  • an updated summary of the policies and procedures that have been adopted by public schools in Washington limiting student use of mobile devices during instructional hours;
  • an updated summary of the barriers that public schools have experienced when implementing these policies and procedures; and
  • evidence-based recommendations related to student mobile device use during instructional hours that support academic learning, healthy social relationships and emotional well-being, and recommendations for incorporating student mobile device use within digital citizenship.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 24, 2026.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony On Proposed Substitute:

PRO: Student mobile device use is harming students' learning and their development. During COVID, students got used to being on their devices at all times and their attention spans suffered. Having phones in the classroom pulls students' attention away from their learning, especially for students with ADHD. These devices are distracting and are holding students back.  Evidence and data shows this and parents intuitively know this. Writing a one-size-fits-all policy is not practical given the number of school districts and students. This bill sets out a vision and will collect data to help reach the goal of device-free schools while understanding that this policy may need to be nuanced depending on the community. When schools prohibit these devices, student misconduct decreases, engagement and academic achievement increases, and their social lives, mental well-being, and safety improves.

 

CON: Cell-phone free schools should not be the goal. Parents should be able to contact their children at all times. Given safety concerns, like school shootings, students need to be able to contact their parents. Phones allow students to connect with more people, and learning how to use phones in schools will prepare them for employment. 

 

OTHER: Technology has been weaponized against young children, and they are being targeted with addictive phones and apps. A study shows that students spend a lot of their time at school on their phones, and they are not using it for educational purposes. The mere presence of cell phones is distracting. To allow cell phones in schools, put students at a disadvantage, especially those students furthest from justice. Many other states have already enacted cell phone bans. This bill should go further and get phones out of schools earlier. Schools already have phone restrictions but they are not working and need to be backed by a bell-to-bell law. Without a law banning cell phone use, teachers are using much of their time to police cell phone use. Students and teachers are sick of classrooms where phone use has replaced conversation and learning. Conflict in middle school is typical but adding cell phones to this conflict is like adding fuel to the fire. It can turn a small conflict into a crisis that can overwhelm the system. When students have cell phones in school, they fear being recorded or photographed. They do not make students safer. School climate becomes more positive when there are no phones. Everyone in the state deserves to have this policy and a statewide framework.
Persons Testifying:

PRO: Senator Marko Liias, Prime Sponsor; Lillian Fuller; Julie Molina; Gabriella Barrett-Bowen; Romy Yoffe; Sidney Shepherd; Connor Hui.

CON: John Axtell; Julie Chea.
OTHER: Danica Noble, Coalition for a Media-Safe Childhood; Dr. Dimitri Christakis, MD MPH, Professor, Seattle Children's Hospital; Editor in Chief, JAMA Pediatrics; Eric Chung, University of Washington Technology Law & Public Policy Clinic; Zachary Stowell, School Principal; Rao Talasila, Parent & AI Technologist; Paula Sardinas, WBBA/FMS Global Strategies; Thea Kaste, High school student; Manuela Slye, Parent and education advocate.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying:

PRO: Takahiro Yoshida; Devan Harbani.

OTHER: MIsha Cherniske, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; Mo Canady, National Association of School Resource Officers; Mark Lovre, Teacher; Dr. Russ Payne; Payton Drader, High School Student.