# Virginia SB108: School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies, prohibition.

Virginia SB108, School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies, prohibition., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Stella G. Pekarsky (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0331)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB108-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB108
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies, prohibition.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-02
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0331)
- Sponsor: Stella G. Pekarsky (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (235 yes, 13 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 4

## Summary

School boards; student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies. Amends the requirements for the student cell phone and smart device possession and use policies that each school board is required to develop and each public elementary and secondary school is required to implement pursuant to applicable law to require such policies to, except as provided in applicable law, restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and prohibit student cell phone and smart device use on school property from bell to bell. Current law only requires such policies to restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Administrators, not police, enforce phone rules: benefit, low. School administrators enforce these device rules. Enforcement must avoid pulling teachers away from instruction or disrupting class time. School resource officers are not involved in enforcing device policies.
- Health and disability exceptions to phone ban: benefit, low. Students with an IEP, 504 plan, individualized health care plan, diabetes plan, or Limited English Proficiency plan may have and use a device during the day. Use is allowed to monitor health or as an accommodation or assistive technology, including in class.
- No suspension just for phone violations: benefit, low. Breaking the device rules alone cannot lead to suspension or expulsion. If a device violation involves disruptive behavior, the school handles it under its regular student conduct code.
- Student phones off during school day: benefit, low. The law requires every school board to set age-appropriate rules for student cell phones and smart devices. Schools must restrict possession and ban student use from the first bell to dismissal, including lunch and time between classes. If devices are allowed before or after the day, schools must s…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Stella G. Pekarsky (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-11 | Senate | House substitute agreed to by Senate | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-10 | House | Passed House with substitute | pass | 84 | 11 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | House | Reported from Education with substitute | pass | 19 | 2 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-26 | Senate | Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-23 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-22 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health | pass | 14 | 0 |   |

## Actions (37)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0331) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 331 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-04-01: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB108) (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-31: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-30: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB108ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-30: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: House substitute agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Passed House with substitute (84-Y 11-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-10: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2026-03-10: committee substitute agreed to (House)
- 2026-03-10: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-09: Passed by for the day (House)
- 2026-03-06: Read second time (House)
- 2026-03-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB108) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Committee substitute printed 26109021D-H1 (House)
- 2026-03-04: Reported from Education with substitute (19-Y 2-N) (House)
- 2026-03-03: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-26: Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee (House)
- 2026-02-03: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2026-02-03: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-03: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-27: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Engrossed by Senate (Senate)
- 2026-01-26: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-01-22: Reported from Education and Health (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-15: Assigned Education sub: Public Education (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB108) (Senate)
- 2026-01-02: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2026-01-02: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100670D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217515.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217514.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211808.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211807.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1192105.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1192104.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-03-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189913.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189912.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-02: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082879.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082878.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217515.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217514.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211808.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1211807.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1192105.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1192104.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189913.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1189912.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082879.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1082878.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB108-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).