Alabama public school students who repeatedly violated rules restricting the use of cell phones in classrooms would be subject to fines under a bill pre-filed for the legislative session, which is about four weeks away.

The bill by Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, would require the state Board of Education to adopt a model policy prohibiting students in K-12 from possessing or using cell phones during classroom instructional time.

The model policy would include an escalating discipline scale, including fines for students who are repeat offenders.

Warren’s bill would require local school boards to adopt rules based on the state BOE’s model policy, including a requirement that cell phones be stored in lockers or a designated place in the classroom during instructional time, a requirement already in place in some schools.

Warren’s bill does not specify any amounts of fines or other specifics on the penalties.

The prohibition on cell phones in classrooms would carry some exceptions, including the use of phones for emergencies.

Warren, who has served in the Alabama House since 2005, said many schools, but not all, are already taking steps to keep children off their phones during class time.

Warren said fines for students or parents would show the seriousness of the issue. Warren said he daughter, who teaches high school English in Texas, said new restrictions that have kept students off their phones there have been transformational.

“She said, ‘Mama, it’s a totally different world,’” Warren said. “She said kids who had no interest in doing anything in class are now participating.”

“She said before, those kids come to class, they have earplugs in their ear, they’re listening to music, they’re sending texts, they’re playing games with each other in the class, they just had no idea what was actually happening in class,“ Warren said.

“And now that they don’t have the phone they’re now having to pay attention and really start learning in the classroom.”

Some Texas school districts are imposing $15 fines and suspensions for violating cell phone bans, according to news reports.

Warren said she is not committed to fines and is open to the state BOE developing other effective disciplinary steps. She said school suspensions would work for some students.

“Between the systems and the (state) board, they should be able to work out something to make them know that they’re serious,” Warren said. “This is something that you just don’t do and get away with it.”

Vic Wilson, executive director of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS), which represents principals, assistant principals, and other school administrators, said the state BOE requires local districts to have a policy on cell phones and that a large majority have have adopted rules that restrict their use.

Wilson said he believes it is best to allow local districts to decide on the specific rules to best confront what he said principals tell him is a serious problem.

“It’s very problematic, not only for the disruptions that can occur in classrooms but just because of the data that’s now coming out about the students always being on, the fact that they’re constantly scrolling,” Wilson said.

“And their mental health is suffering because of the attention to the cell phone, which is harming their attention to just normal everyday conversations and just life-type stuff.

“I’m all for districts making a decision that they believe to be in the best interest of students under their care. But I also think that is something that should occur at the district level.”

Wilson said he opposes the idea of fines for students, which he believes would be unprecedented.

“To my knowledge, I don’t know that there’s ever been a legislative action that has fined students,” Wilson said. “That’s odd to think that we would fine students.”

“That’s kind of getting into the legal system and I don’t think our principals would be for that,” Wilson said. “I can assure you that our superintendents probably would not be for that. It would be very difficult to say now we’re in the business of collecting fines.”

Wilson said he respects Warren and her previous legislation that has helped education. He said he planned to talk to her about the bill.

“I’m not against any of the bills that come out that hope to help us with issues in the schools like that,” Wilson said. “I hope if nothing else it will provide us opportunities to have conversations to see how we can make our schools better.

“And I’m hoping to talk to Representative Warren to find out what we can do to make sure her ideas are incorporated into our schools. We may find out some of the them are already there.”

Warren’s bill follows previous efforts by school officials and legislators to come to restrict cell phones in schools.

Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey is a proponent of keeping kids off cell phones during the school day, saying it reduces discipline problems substantially.

In 2023, Montgomery Public Schools began requiring students in grades 6-12 to place their cell phones in pouches that are locked until the end of the school day. School employees have said the policy has been effective in reducing distractions and keeping students more engaged.

In addition to Warren’s bill, Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Jefferson County, has pre-filed a bill would create a statewide model policy to restrict K-12 students from using cell phones and other electronic communication devices during the school day. The Alabama Department of Education and local districts would have to adopt a policy for the 2026-27 school year.

Read more: Why Alabama schools continue pursuing cell phone bans

Warren said the problem needs more attention. She said some parents make it worse by texting their children during class.

“Back in the day, if you needed anything with your child, you called the office, and the office helped,” Warren said. “Why are you texting your child when you know he’s sitting in an English class?”

The legislative session starts Feb. 4.

“If we want to do what we say, and that’s improve education in the state of Alabama, we’ve got to get really serious about what happens in our classrooms,” Warren said.