ALBANY, N.Y. – Gov. Hochul spoke about the plans to fund a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in schools on Tuesday, while disagreements over the state budget linger.

The policy takes effect this fall and will make New York the largest state in the nation to adopt the ban. California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia have already adopted a similar ban.

New York will make $13.5 million available to school districts to help them come up with daily phone storage solutions. Gov. Kathy Hochul says the policy will help teachers to be more effective and help students pay closer attention to schoolwork.

“I think there should be laughter in the hallways again. I think there should be human voices that you hear in gym class,” Hochul said. “I want our kids to make eye-to-eye contact again. I want them to enjoy the experience of real human connection, not just through a screen.”

While a cellphone ban in schools is set, New York is still without a finalized state budget. Gov. Hochul announced a “general agreement” on the $254 billion budget back on April 28, nearly a month after the budget was initially due. However, state Republicans are pushing back against what they say is the governor’s overuse of “messages of necessity,” which bypass the three-day aging process for new budget bills. Senate Majority Leader Rob Ortt says that’s keeping his colleagues from fully inspecting the budget.

“The necessity is gone,” Sen. Ortt said. “If this was March 31, you could have an argument that we got to get this done on time, school districts are depending on us. We are well past that. There is no necessity.”

Republicans are pushing for a bill that would prohibit the governor from issuing a message of necessity for budget-related bills. It has yet to pass committee.

RELATED:

• Parents in Rochester react to state’s push to ban cell phones in schools (Sept. 2024)
• Local parents and students weigh in as Gov. Hochul develops statewide policy on smartphones in schools (July 24)

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