The House Education Committee has advanced a bill that would keep cell phones out of West Virginia classrooms during instructional time. HB 2003 requires county boards to develop policies for the 2025-2026 school year that limit personal electronic devices, with exceptions for students with special needs or medical requirements. Governor Patrick Morrisey supported the measure in his State of the State address, noting that other states have seen “great success” with similar bans. The West Virginia Professional Educators Association backs the bill, with surveys showing 66 percent of educators support prohibiting phones during class time.