Florida Sets National Precedent with HB 379: Statewide School Cellphone Ban During Instructional Time and Wi-Fi Social Media Block

Enacted by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, House Bill 379 (HB 379 / Chapter 2023-36, Laws of Florida) established the first statewide statutory prohibition on student mobile phone use during instructional hours across the United States. Codified into Florida Statutes § 1006.07 and § 1006.1494, the comprehensive legislation governs all public primary and secondary (K-12) school districts statewide. The primary legislative objectives focus on eliminating continuous classroom distractions, safeguarding cognitive focus among adolescents, curbing digital bullying, and mitigating the documented harms of algorithmic addiction within learning environments.

Under § 1006.07(2)(f), district school boards are mandated to implement enforceable rules barring student use of wireless communications devices during instructional time, unless an instructor expressly directs device use solely for designated educational tasks. The statute further obligates classroom teachers to designate a dedicated storage area—such as numbered hanging pockets or locked storage caddies—where students must place personal devices during class sessions. In addition, § 1006.1494 requires school districts to block access to social media platforms across all district-provided Wi-Fi networks and strictly forbids the installation, use, or promotion of TikTok on district-owned hardware and school digital infrastructure.

Beyond restrictive measures, HB 379 mandates targeted digital health instruction for students in grades 6 through 12, focusing on the social, emotional, and neurological impacts of social media. The state curriculum covers algorithmic design manipulation, behavioral dependency, data permanency, and online predatory risks. The statute incorporates statutory exemptions for bona fide emergency situations, physician-documented medical tracking needs (such as continuous blood glucose monitoring for students managing Type 1 diabetes), and documented Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or Section 504 plans. Initial implementation reviews across major districts, including Orange County Public Schools, reported measurable gains in active classroom participation and significant declines in behavioral infractions.

For individuals seeking to prevent smartphone notifications from disrupting study hours or deep focus sessions, Limitra App Block allows users to establish scheduled restriction windows, automatically preventing access to chosen applications during designated focus hours.