Indiana requires phones out of sight

Indiana’s new “bell-to-bell” cellphone rule is not just a classroom-use limit. Senate Enrolled Act 78 requires school corporations and charter schools to restrict student access to wireless communication devices for the entire school day, not only during instructional time. (fox19.com) The law took effect July 1, 2026, and schools are applying it as students return for the 2026-27 year. Fox19 reported on Aug. 5 that students must keep phones out of sight from the first bell to the last. (legiscan.com) ### What changed from Indiana’s earlier phone rules? Indiana lawmakers had already required school device policies, but the 2026 law tightened them. (iga.in.gov) The General Assembly’s bill digest says Senate Bill 78 amended definitions, restrictions and exceptions for wireless communication device policies and required the state education department to publish model policy language and implementation guidance. The enrolled act says “school day” means the entire time a student is present on school property for the student instructional day. That change matters because earlier rules focused more narrowly on instructional time, leaving room for student phone access during lunch, passing periods or other parts of the day. (fox19.com) ### Which students and devices does the law cover? Indiana’s statute applies statewide to K-12 students in school corporations and charter schools. Reporting on the rollout says the restriction covers cellphones and extends to other personal wireless communication devices, including smart watches and similar electronics. (iga.in.gov) House and Senate bill materials from the Indiana General Assembly describe the policy as one governing “wireless communication devices.” The broader category is why districts are writing rules that address more than phones alone. (legiscan.com) ### Does the state tell schools exactly how to enforce it? Local districts still handle the mechanics. Fox19 reported that the state law sets the requirement, while school systems decide how students store devices and what penalties apply when rules are broken. The statute requires schools to adopt and implement a policy, but it does not impose one single statewide discipline model in the reporting reviewed here. (fox19.com) That means enforcement can differ by district even though the statewide standard is the same: devices cannot be accessible during the school day. (iga.in.gov) ### Are there any exceptions? Governor Mike Braun’s office said when he ceremonially signed the measure in May that the law includes exceptions for emergencies, students with individualized education programs or Section 504 plans, and medical needs. Braun said the restrictions come with “common-sense exceptions for emergencies.” (fox19.com) State bill materials also say the law amends exceptions, though district policies may spell out how those exceptions work in practice. Schools therefore have to align local rules with the state’s required carveouts. (iga.in.gov) ### What happens next for families and schools? The 2026-27 school year is the first full test of the requirement. Indiana districts are now publishing student-handbook language, storage procedures and discipline steps as campuses reopen, including in districts highlighted by local television outlets this week. (events.in.gov) The Indiana Department of Education is also required to publish model policy language and implementation guidance under Senate Bill 78. For parents and students, the next practical step is checking their district’s back-to-school materials to see where devices must be stored, what counts as a violation and how exceptions are handled. (iga.in.gov) (fox19.com)