SPRINGFIELD — Just one year after the Illinois General Assembly failed to pass a school cellphone ban, Gov. JB Pritzker is asking lawmakers to advance an even stricter version of the proposal that mandates all public and charter school districts adopt a ban that runs throughout the full school day.

The latest push was part of Pritzker’s State of the State address last week and was followed just days later by a news conference in suburban Oak Park, where the two-term Democratic governor expressed cautious optimism that the newest iteration would pass the state legislature this spring.

“There’s real harm being done and it’s interfering with our ability to give children the most productive educational environment possible. It’s time to get the cellphones out of the classroom,” Pritzker said in his State of the State address to bipartisan applause.

The tweaked version of the bill would require every Illinois public school district and charter school to adopt a “bell-to-bell” policy prohibiting K-12 students from using cellphones from the start of the school day until the final bell. The measure marks a shift from last year’s proposal, which only focused on banning phones during instructional time. Private schools would not be required to implement a phone ban under the bill.

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, a Democrat from Schaumburg and the bill’s main House sponsor, said the change reflects lawmakers’ view that a daylong ban is more effective than limiting phone use only during class. Last session’s effort flew through the Illinois Senate without opposition but was never called for a vote in the House as lawmakers prioritized a $55.2 billion budget and other higher-priority measures in the waning days of the session.

Behind the scenes, momentum stalled when some House lawmakers raised concerns about student safety and discipline, said Mussman, who is also chair of the House Education Policy Committee. To alleviate concerns about uneven or discriminatory discipline, one new change would require districts to establish clear, consistent consequences for violations, she said. Other lingering concerns about whether carve-outs might cause some students with medical issues and those learning English to slip through the cracks also have been addressed, she added.

“We’ve been working very closely with the representatives who had expressed some concerns. Many of them have told us that they feel that their concerns have been adequately addressed,” Mussman said. “Certainly, things can be unpredictable, but we do feel that we’ve been working hard to keep up and address everything that had been brought to our attention.”

The legislation preserves mandatory exceptions included in last year’s proposal, allowing phones for medical needs, students learning English, those with individualized education programs and students who are primary caregivers for a family member. Districts could permit phone use during lunch, emergencies or imminent threats, and for instructional purposes with teacher approval.

Before adopting a policy, districts would have to develop storage guidelines and solicit feedback from teachers, students, parents and administrators. Policies would be reviewed at least once every three years.

While some concerns remain, Pritzker said he has faith the bill has what it takes to pass the House this session. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn by May 31.

“I believe that we are in pretty good shape,” Pritzker said Friday in a news conference at Oak Park and River Forest High School. “But I feel more confident than I was last spring about getting this done.”

But the Illinois Federation of Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions, announced late last week that it opposes the mandate, arguing it would require districts to spend money on storage systems without state funding. The IFT is now led by Stacy Davis Gates, a progressive who also serves as president of the Chicago Teachers Union. Since her election, the IFT has pushed for Pritzker to adopt more progressive stances, including a millionaire’s tax.

“Schools already have the authority to set cellphone policies, but what they cannot do is fund themselves or the cellphone lockers or pockets that will be required to enforce this unfunded mandate,” IFT Executive Vice President Cyndi Oberle-Dahm said in a statement.

Providing secure, accessible phone storage for every student can be costly for districts. Yondr pouches, a popular school phone storage device, cost the Danville School District $70,000 in 2025 and Peoria Public Schools nearly $250,000 the year before. The California-based company’s pouches cost around $20 to $25 per student, with prices varying further based on school size and volume, Yondr spokesperson Liz Baker said in an email.

Mussman said districts could use free or lower-cost alternatives, including keeping phones in schools’ existing lockers.

Like last year’s measure, Pritzker’s proposal does not dictate how schools should implement the ban. It does prohibit schools from imposing fines, suspensions or expulsions solely to enforce the policy, or involving school resource officers or local law enforcement for violations.

Illinois would join a growing number of states restricting student phone use. According to The Associated Press, 35 states had laws limiting phone use in schools as of August 2025. Nationally, about 7 in 10 teachers say student cellphone distractions are a major problem, according to the Pew Research Center.

Dozens of Illinois districts already have some form of a phone ban. At the start of the school year, Hinsdale High School District 86 implemented a policy in which, during class, students are expected to put their electronic devices in a cellphone holder, or another location, as directed by the classroom teacher. Glenbrook High School District 225 has banned phones in class since 2024. The Champaign Unit 4 School District implemented the stricter bell-to-bell ban that same year. Chicago Public Schools does not have a phone ban, but, like other schools without a district-wide policy, allows individual schools to set their own standards for student phone use.

Olivia Olander contributed to this report.