Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety (FOCUS) Act, which bans cellphone use by students in Alabama’s public schools.

The bill, HB166, was sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Pelham. The House passed the bill by a 79-15 margin and the Senate passed the bill by a 30-2 margin and sent the bill to Ivey for approval.

“In my state of the state address, I repeated the requests of Alabama teachers and parents in calling for a ban on student cell phone use in our schools,” Ivey said.  “Smart phones have beneficial roles when used in proper settings. However, these often-disruptive devices have no place in our classrooms during the school day except for educational purposes or during an emergency.  The FOCUS Act will enable students to ‘focus’ on learning while in school rather than on their phones.”

The bill prohibits the use of cellphones on certain school properties as well as requiring all local boards of education to adopt an internet safety policy. The bill also adds into the 1975 Code of Alabama a requirement for all students to complete a social media safety course before eighth grade and repeals a section of the 1975 Code of Alabama that allows the use of electronic communications devices on school property.

Locally, Pike County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Bazzell said Pike County Schools’ cellphone policy is already in line with the new FOCUS Act. But, he said some wording in the policy may need to be amended to clarify that the internet safety course is in line with state law.

“We started looking at this in the winter of last year,” Bazzell said. “We brought in parents, students, teachers and administrators and formed a committee. They spent four to five months developing a cellphone policy for Pike County Schools. We adopted the policy late last summer. It meets all of the requirements of the new law, so there will be very few, if any, adjustments we have to make to the policy.”

While the policy effectively bans cellphone use by students, it also allows students to use cellphones in specific situations. Students may use a cellphone if it is part of the student’s Individualized Education Program, Individualized Accommodation Plan or Individualized Health Plan as well as if the use of the cellphone is for educational purposes under the supervision of a local board of education personnel.

Students are also allowed to use cellphones in emergency situations.

Local boards of education are required to have a wireless communication device policy and an internet safety policy in place by July 1, 2025. The Alabama State Department of Education is also required to make sure all local school boards are in compliance by Oct. 1, 2025.

Hulsey said she believed the bill would help protect students from the dangers of the internet as well as improve students’ ability to learn.

“As a parent, equipping my children to excel in all aspects of life is priority number one, and what they learn in the classroom plays an immense role in that,” said Rep. Leigh Hulsey. “The FOCUS Act will limit distractions and provide an avenue for every student in our state to get the absolute most out of their day at school, leading to a stronger Alabama of tomorrow.”

Troy City Schools Superintendent Cynthia Thomas could not be reached for comment.