WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2026 – Leading child safety and well-being organizations, The Anxious Generation Movement, Smartphone Free Childhood US, Institute for Families and Technology, and Becca Schmill Foundation, announced today that Kansas’s new law received an “A” grade on the Phone-Free Schools State Report Card.
Introduced by state senators Chase Blasi (R-KS) and Dinah Sykes (D-KS) and signed into law by Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS), H.B. 2299 limits the use of all personal electronic devices by students and requires that devices be stored in secure, inaccessible locations throughout the entire school day, or from “bell-to-bell.”
Kansas previously received an “Incomplete” on the initial Phone-Free Schools State Report Card published in January 2026 as multiple bills were pending before the legislature. With enactment of this new law, the state has earned an “A” grade – one of only four states to achieve the ranking.
“I am grateful the new law allows all Kansas students to learn and thrive not only in the classroom but throughout the entire school day,” said Kim Whitman, Kansas resident and founder and co-lead of Smartphone Free Childhood US. “Additionally, the social media prohibition is essential to protecting students from addictive algorithms and in turn allows them to stay focused on learning.”
“I want to applaud Sen. Blasi and Sen. Sykes for championing one of the strongest phone-free school laws in the country,” said Emily Rapp, director of public policy for the Institute for Families and Technology. “The new bell-to-bell law which includes inaccessible storage for personal devices (no backpacks or student lockers), ensures students are free from the pressures of constant notifications throughout the entire school day.”
Bell-to-bell policies mandating that phones are inaccessible while at school are considered the grade “A” standard under the Report Card’s criteria. These policies are proven to enhance academic performance, improve students’ mental and physical health, increase teacher satisfaction, protect student safety and privacy, and deepen school community relationships.
More information about Kansas’s grade can be found here.
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About the Phone-Free Schools Report Card
Launched in 2026, the Phone-Free Schools State Report Card is published by leading child safety and well-being organizations, including The Anxious Generation Movement, Smartphone Free Childhood US, Institute for Families and Technology, and Becca Schmill Foundation. The report evaluates whether the laws in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., meet the gold standard for phone-free schools: policies requiring all students to store their personal electronic devices in secure, inaccessible locations for the entire school day (bell-to-bell).