Sports Weekly, March 22nd, 2026
ANNAPOLIS — Cecil County Del. Kevin Hornberger is helping lead a bipartisan push in Annapolis to rein in student cellphone use in Maryland schools, backing legislation that would require local school systems — including Cecil and Harford counties — to put formal device policies in place by the start of the 2027-28 school year. Hornberger, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Cecil County delegation, is a co-sponsor of House Bill 525, the House companion to Senate Bill 928.
Hornberger said the issue has been under review for two years in the K-12 education subcommittee, where lawmakers from both parties have tried to craft a response to what many educators see as a growing classroom distraction.
“We have worked on this issue in a bipartisan effort extensively over the last 2 years in my Subcommittee (K-12 education) and I was happy to co-sponsor the bill this year,” Hornberger said in a statement. “Cell phone use is rampant right now in our schools and we need to keep students focused on instruction.”
The legislation, known as the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, would require each county board of education to develop and implement its own policy governing student use of electronic communication devices during the academic school day by the 2027-28 school year. That means school systems such as Cecil County Public Schools and Harford County Public Schools would not be placed under an immediate one-size-fits-all statewide ban, but instead would be required to adopt and publish their own formal rules under a state framework.
For local families, that distinction is a major part of the bill’s appeal. Hornberger said the measure was written to preserve local control while still requiring school systems to act.
“We’re also asking the schools to come up with a formal plan on their own and report that plan back to the State Board,” Hornberger said. “Any changes will be available online so everyone knows the updated policy. The bill preserves local control and will lead to less unauthorized screen time.”
Under the bill, local policies would cover more than just cellphones. The measure applies to “electronic communication devices,” a category that includes items such as smart watches, tablets, wireless earbuds and similar portable devices with communication functions. School-issued devices used for instruction are not included. The bill also says the policy cannot bar device use in certain situations, including emergencies, documented health needs, uses required under an IEP or 504 plan, certain classroom purposes, language-translation needs when school-issued devices are unavailable, and some approved caregiving responsibilities.
The House version has already cleared an important hurdle. The Ways and Means Committee voted the bill favorable with amendments on March 20, and committee records show Hornberger voted in favor. In the Senate, SB 928 also advanced with amendments before passing the full chamber, sending the issue back to the House side for further action.
If enacted, the bill would take effect July 1, 2026, but local boards would have until the 2027-28 school year to develop and implement their policies. That gives school systems in Cecil and Harford more than a year to decide what enforcement, storage requirements, parent communication and disciplinary steps would look like locally.
What comes next is the final stretch of the House process. Because the Senate has already moved SB 928 and the House committee has advanced HB 525, lawmakers still must decide which version will ultimately move forward. If the House and Senate pass identical language, the bill would go to the governor. If one chamber changes the other’s version, both sides would need to agree before it can become law.
For Cecil and Harford counties, the debate is no longer whether the issue is on Annapolis’ radar. It clearly is. The question now is how soon local school leaders may need to begin building the phone policies that state lawmakers increasingly see as inevitable.
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