Phone-free school days bill heads to Shapiro after votes that split both parties
Senate Bill 1014 cleared the House 141-62 and the Senate 47-3. The roll calls show where Democrats and Republicans broke ranks, and how long the bill sat waiting.
Pennsylvania is about to require every public and private school to keep students off their phones for the whole school day. The state Senate gave final approval to Senate Bill 1014 on Wednesday, two days after the House passed it, and Gov. Josh Shapiro has said he will sign it, NBC10 Philadelphia reported.
For families, the change is concrete. Districts will have to adopt a "bell-to-bell" policy that covers class time, lunch and the walk between classes. The rules have to be in place no later than the 2027-28 school year, and districts decide how to enforce them, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported. Exceptions cover students with medical needs, students whose learning plans call for a device, and students with specific permission, according to NBC10.
Shapiro, who called for the ban in his budget address, said it is about getting back to basics and to "let our kids be kids," NBC10 reported. Spotlight PA reported that the governor plans a public signing ceremony for the bill (Spotlight PA). Advocates told WITF the law is a step toward protecting children.
What the records add
Who wrote it. The prime sponsor is Sen. Devlin Robinson, a Republican from the 37th District. The bill page lists 21 co-sponsors: 12 Democrats and nine Republicans, including Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa and Sens. Vincent Hughes and Doug Mastriano.
How long it took. The bill was referred to the Senate Education Committee on Oct. 10, 2025, and final approval came 376 days later. Most of that wait was in the House. The Senate passed its version 46-1 on Feb. 3. The House Education Committee amended it and approved it 15-11 on April 28. After the House made more changes on May 6, the bill went to the House Appropriations Committee and stayed there for 166 days, until Oct. 19. That day, Appropriations sent it out 37-0, and the House passed it hours later.
How the House voted. The House roll call was 141-62, and both parties split:
- Democrats: 78 yes, 25 no
- Republicans: 63 yes, 37 no
The no votes came from across the chamber. They included Republican Reps. Kerry Benninghoff, Bryan Cutler and Jim Rigby, and Democratic Reps. Christopher Rabb, Greg Vitali and Steve Samuelson.
How the Senate voted. Because the House changed the bill, the Senate had to vote again on the House's version. The Senate concurrence vote was 47-3:
- Republicans: 26 yes, 1 no (Sen. Dawn Keefer)
- Democrats: 21 yes, 2 no (Sens. James Malone and Katie Muth)
Malone is listed as one of the bill's co-sponsors. The roll call doesn't record why individual senators voted the way they did.
An earlier close vote. On May 6, a House motion to suspend the rules so members could take up an amendment failed 99-102, according to the bill's vote list. That was the closest vote recorded on the bill.
What happens next
The bill was signed by the presiding officers of both chambers and presented to the governor on Oct. 22, according to the bill's history. While the legislature is in session, the governor has 10 days to sign or veto a bill or it becomes law without his signature, the Capital-Star noted.
Once it is law, the work moves to Pennsylvania's 500 school districts, whose boards will have to write and adopt their own policies before the 2027-28 school year.