Virginia Bill Prohibits Student Cell Phone Use in Schools
Summary
Virginia Senate Bill 108 was enrolled on March 30, 2026, amending existing law to change school board requirements for student cell phone and smart device policies from restricting to prohibiting possession and use on school property during the school day. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support (40-0 in the Senate, 84-11 in the House of Representatives) and applies to all public elementary and secondary schools in Virginia.
What changed
Virginia SB108 upgrades existing student cell phone policies by mandating that school boards prohibit (rather than merely restrict) student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Stella Pekarsky and passed both chambers with overwhelming support before being enrolled on March 30, 2026.
School boards must now revise their existing policies to implement outright prohibitions on student cell phone possession and use during the school day. All public elementary and secondary schools in Virginia are required to comply with these updated policies. Schools should update student handbooks, communicate policy changes to parents and students, and revise disciplinary procedures to reflect the prohibition rather than restrictions.
What to do next
- Revise existing school board policies to prohibit student cell phone and smart device possession and use during school hours
- Update student handbooks and code of conduct to reflect prohibition language
- Communicate policy changes to parents and students before the next school year
Source document (simplified)
VA SB108 | 2026 | Regular Regular Session
Virginia Senate Bill 108
VA State Legislature page for SB108
- Summary
- Sponsors
- Texts
- Votes
- Research
- Comments
- Track
Status
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: Enrolled on March 30 2026 - 75% progression
Action: 2026-03-30 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB108ER)
Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [HTML]
Summary
School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies; prohibition. Amends the requirements for the student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies that each school board is required to develop and each public elementary and secondary school is required to implement pursuant to applicable law to require such policies to, except as provided in applicable law, prohibit student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell. Current law only requires such policies to restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell.
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Title
School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies, prohibition.
Sponsors
| Sen. Stella Pekarsky [D] |
Roll Calls
2026-03-11 - Senate - House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2026-03-10 - House - Passed House with substitute (84-Y 11-N 0-A) (Y: 84 N: 11 NV: 0 Abs: 4) [PASS]
2026-03-04 - House - Reported from Education with substitute (19-Y 2-N) (Y: 19 N: 2 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-27 - Senate - Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-23 - Senate - Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
2026-01-22 - Senate - Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N) (Y: 14 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]
History
| Date | Chamber | Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-30 | Senate | Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB108ER) |
| 2026-03-30 | Senate | Enrolled |
| 2026-03-11 | Senate | House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-10 | House | Passed House with substitute (84-Y 11-N 0-A) |
| 2026-03-10 | House | Engrossed by House - committee substitute |
| 2026-03-10 | House | committee substitute agreed to |
| 2026-03-10 | House | Read third time |
| 2026-03-09 | House | Passed by for the day |
| 2026-03-06 | House | Read second time |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB108) |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Committee substitute printed 26109021D-H1 |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Reported from Education with substitute (19-Y 2-N) |
| 2026-03-03 | House | House subcommittee offered |
| 2026-02-26 | House | Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Referred to Committee on Education |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Read first time |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Placed on Calendar |
| 2026-01-27 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Read second time |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Passed by for the day |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Passed by for the day (Voice Vote) |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Rules suspended |
| 2026-01-22 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N) |
| 2026-01-15 | Senate | Assigned Education sub: Public Education |
| 2026-01-14 | Senate | Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB108) |
| 2026-01-02 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Education and Health |
| 2026-01-02 | Senate | Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100670D |
Virginia State Sources
| Type | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Summary | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB108 |
| Text | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB108/text/SB108 |
| Text | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB108/text/SB108HC1 |
| Text | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB108/text/SB108H1 |
| Text | https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB108/text/SB108ER |
| Supplement | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1087643.PDF |
| Supplement | https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196275.PDF |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB108/20261/S4V477 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB108/20261/SV77 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB108/20261/SV90 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB108/20261/H09V2614025 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB108/20261/26110918 |
| Roll Call | https://lis.virginia.gov/vote-details/SB108/20261/SV1263 |
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