Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 2427 into law on July 28, 2026, creating a statewide framework requiring all Illinois public school districts and charter schools to adopt bell-to-bell wireless communication device policies by the start of the 2027-28 school year. The law took effect immediately and was assigned Public Act 104-0657.
The law defines a wireless communication device broadly to include cell phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, gaming devices, and wearable devices such as smart watches, except for devices that a school district or teacher has directly issued or required for educational purposes. The restriction applies during school time, which the law defines as the period from designated arrival through designated dismissal, including instructional time, recess, lunch, and passing periods. Before and after school activities and off-campus learning opportunities are not covered.
Districts must include mandatory exceptions for medical needs, individualized education programs, Section 504 plans, English learners, and student caregivers. Districts may also allow discretionary exceptions for high school lunch and passing periods, for educational purposes when authorized by school personnel, and during emergencies. For K-8 schools, the ban must be full bell-to-bell with no opt-out for lunch or passing periods.
Enforcement is explicitly limited. The law prohibits districts from using fines, fees, suspensions, expulsions, or deploying school resource officers or local law enforcement officers for device violations alone. This prohibition does not extend to the use of a device to engage in other gross disobedience or misconduct.
Comparative state approaches
Illinois joins a growing number of states that have enacted statewide cell phone restrictions in schools. Virginia passed a law in 2025 that similarly requires bell-to-bell policies and prohibits suspensions and law enforcement involvement, making it the closest structural parallel to Illinois' enforcement restrictions, according to the Education Commission of the States. Florida's 2023 law was the first in the current wave but restricts devices only during instructional time, not the full school day, as reported by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Indiana expanded its restrictions from instructional time to the full school day in 2026, mirroring Illinois' bell-to-bell approach, according to the Education Commission of the States. Louisiana imposed a direct statewide possession ban rather than requiring local policies, according to NCSL. California requires districts to adopt policies limiting or prohibiting smartphone use, with a five-year review cycle, longer than Illinois' three-year requirement, according to NCSL.
Research and reported outcomes
In announcing the law, the governor's office cited outcomes reported by other states with bell-to-bell policies, including greater student attention and focus, increased attendance, and fewer behavioral incidents. The statement also noted that many schools saw a temporary increase in suspensions, particularly among Black students, a finding that the governor's office used to justify Illinois' prohibition on suspensions as a disciplinary tool for device violations. The press release did not cite specific data sources for these claims.
A 2024 survey found that 72 percent of high school teachers said cell phone distraction is a major problem in their classrooms, according to the governor's press release, which referenced survey data. Education Week reported that several states have begun requiring data collection on the effectiveness of cell phone restrictions, indicating that systematic outcome evaluations are still in early stages.