WASHINGTON – March 25,2026 – Leading child safety and well-being organizations, The Anxious Generation Movement, Smartphone Free Childhood US, Institute for Families and Technology, and Becca Schmill Foundation,today announced that Wyoming’s new law received a “D”grade on the national Phone-Free Schools State Report Card.
S.B. 35, sponsored by State Senator Wendy Davis Schuler (R-WY) and signed into law by Governor Mark Gordon (R-WY), directs school districts to adopt policies governing students' possession and use of cell phones and smart devices in schools.
Wyoming previously received an“F” in the initial Phone-Free Schools State Report Card published in January 2026after the Wyoming legislature failed to pass phone-free schools legislation in 2025. With enactment of this new law, the state has received a “D” grade for requiring school districts to adopt a phone and smart device policy, but without setting a baseline, statewide standard for what that policy should include.
“Wyoming has taken an important first step in addressing student cell-phone use in K-12 schools with this new law,” said Emily Rapp, director of public policy for the Institute of Families and Technology. “But to ensure every student in the state benefits from a fully focused school day, lawmakers should look to neighboring Utah,which just amended their “D’” law and banned cell phones in schools for the entire school day.”
“Leaving decisions up to individual districts creates inconsistent protections for students across the state,’ said Deb Schmill, founder of the Becca Schmill Foundation, “Just as states set clear standards for school safety and health, they should also set a statewide bell-to-bell phone-free schools policy so every student has the same opportunity to learn without the constant distractions and harmful effects of personal devices.”
Under the Report Card’s criteria, an “A” grade is awarded when legislation requires all personal electronic devices to be stored in secure, inaccessible locations throughout the entire school day, or from “bell-to-bell.”
Bell-to-bell 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 Wyoming’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, 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).