Vermont Enacts Law to Ban Cell Phones in Schools

Gov. Phil Scott signed H.480 into law on 6/27/25. This bill includes language to prohibit student use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices during the school day. It also makes VT the first state in the nation to prohibit schools from requiring students have social media in order to participate in any school sponsored activity.

By Ben Breen

June 27, 2025

Link to original article MyChamplainValley.com article:

https://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/local-news/vermont/vermont-enacts-law-to-ban-cell-phones-in-schools/

MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont Governor Phil Scott on Friday signed House Bill 480, which aims to institute a “phone-free” policy in schools across the state.

H. 480 reads in part, “It is the intent of the General Assembly for all students in Vermont to access the benefits of a phone- and social media-free school environment.” It requires school districts to enforce cell phone bans starting in the 2026-27 academic year.

The act includes exceptions for students who need a mobile device as part of health and disability accommodations, when the device is approved by a school administrator, or for certain students receiving homelessness assistance.

Read the full text of the bill hereDownload

Scott said that at least for children in schools, the benefits of being able to use cell phones might not outweigh the downsides. “The things our cell phones can do today are amazing; however, the one area they seem to be very good at, is their ability to distract us from everything.

“We need kids to be focused on learning, interacting with their peers, teachers, and friends while they’re at school. And it’s clear now that phones can get in the way of important conversations and class discussions and can also be used for harmful interactions, like bullying. Taking a break from our phones is probably a good policy for all of us to follow – and hopefully, find that healthy balance we could all use a little more of.”

Studies including one published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science have found that more screen time for children may lead to worse executive function and sensory-motor development, but also that some educational uses may have positive effects.

H. 480 also limits the ability of school districts to rely on social media to communicate with students. It allows schools to approve social media platforms for official use only when the platform has a method to archive all messages and prevent them from being edited or deleted after the fact.

Among the other changes in the act are requirements for school response plans to cardiac emergencies. It requires staff to be trained in CPR and for each school to have an AED available. The American Heart Association praised the new requirements, calling them “a precedent for prioritizing student safety.”

The bill passed both houses of the legislature earlier this month without a roll-call vote taken.