New York
Unsanctioned internet-enabled device use is prohibited throughout the school day, including noninstructional periods.
Text reviewed · Not independently reviewed
What applies, and when
Policies by August 1, 2025; applies from 2025–26.
- Passed / adopted (recorded)
- May 9, 2025
- Legal effective (recorded)
- Sep 1, 2025
Recorded dates need to be read alongside the implementation deadline and current source text.
Exceptions and access
Educational, health, disability, emergencies, translation and approved caregiving needs.
School-issued technology
School-provided educational devices excluded.
Funding
Funding documented
$13.5 million in statewide support for device-storage solutions, documented in New York’s FY2026 implementation resources. This is not an amount per district or confirmation that applications remain open.
https://www.ny.gov/programs/phone-free-schools-implementation-resources
Inspect the evidence
New York Education Law §2803 ↗
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EDN/2803
The operative text was consulted for this classification.
Open question: Check the current district policy, amendment history and implementation evidence before relying on this finding.
Review date: 2026-10-03. This AI-assisted release received a same-agent consistency check, not an independent human review. No independent reviewer or review date is claimed.
District implementation checklist
The state rule is a starting point. Before using this brief for a local decision, obtain the district’s adopted policy and ask:
- Which grades, devices, locations and parts of the day does the policy cover?
- Where are devices stored, who can access them, and who is responsible for loss or damage?
- How are disability, medical and language-access accommodations requested and documented?
- How can families communicate during an emergency and during ordinary school hours?
- What happens after a violation, and how are missed instructional time and unequal enforcement monitored?
- What evidence shows the policy is implemented—and what evaluation would distinguish policy effects from other changes?
District compliance, storage arrangements and outcomes have not been independently verified in this brief.