Banks, Slotkin Introduce Legislation to Ban Student Cell Phones at DoDEAWednesday, June 18, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C,– Today, Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced theRestoring our Educational Focus on Children of U.S. Servicemembers at DoDEA (REFOCUS DoDEA) Act.This legislation will help students at Department of Defense K-12 schools focus more on learning by banning student cellphones in the classroom.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.):“Cell phones in the classroom distract from learning and lead to all kinds of issues for students. My bill with Senator Slotkin will get them out of our schools on military bases.”
Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.):“At school students should be able to focus, learn, and build real relationships, and we cannot shy away from taking bold action to support that goal, including banning cell phones in the classroom. This bill does just that in Department of Defense run schools and is a straightforward step backed by research, educators, and parents.”
TheRestoring our Educational Focus on Children of U.S. Servicemembers at DoDEA:
Full bill text can be foundhere.
Background:
The Department of Defense Educational Activity (DoDEA) operates K-12 schools on military bases, serving over 65,000 children of service members in the U.S. and abroad.
Research shows that cell phone use in classrooms harms academic performance, focus, and mental health. In response, 76% of public schools now ban cell phones during class.