(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Senate Republican Communications Office)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Lawmakers and advocates highlighted the Senate’s approval of Senate Bill 1014 in Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon, which establishes a statewide, bell-to-bell ban on student cellphone use for the full school day. According to a release in Harrisburg from the Senate Republican Communications Office, this legislation will make a consistent statewide standard that prohibits cellphone use during instructional hours. The measure is designed to reduce distractions in the classroom, improve academic performance, and address the growing concerns about both youth mental health and social development.