Lt. Gov. Hosemann said he will reintroduce a bill to ban student cell phone use in Mississippi schools statewide, with exceptions for medical needs, individualized education programs and emergencies.
Hosemann wrote in the Magnolia Tribune that Senate Bill 2151, filed in the 2025 legislative session, passed the Senate but failed to pass the House. He said he intends to bring the proposal before lawmakers again this year.
Hosemann said cell phones compete directly with learning. He wrote that even brief interruptions from phones make it harder for students to regain focus and reduce classroom engagement and academic performance.
He said many school districts already have policies limiting phones, and that 42 states impose some restrictions. Hosemann wrote that Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana restrict phones “bell to bell,” covering the entire school day with exceptions for medical needs, disabilities or emergencies.
Hosemann said concerns extend beyond distraction. He wrote that higher phone use among youth is associated with reduced social interaction, greater risks of depression and anxiety, and increased cyberbullying. He also said parents should decide when children get phones and noted some families are joining pledges to delay phones until eighth grade. Hosemann pointed to the Mississippi Keeping Kids Safe Online Act as a step that requires platforms to verify ages and obtain parental consent for minors.
Hosemann said the proposed law would allow phones on school premises if they are stored and not used during the day, with reasonable exceptions. “Every parent wants their child to succeed in school,” he wrote in the Magnolia Tribune, and he said he will again ask the Legislature to make classrooms phone-free so students can focus on learning.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
