PA Unplugged

Phone-Free Schools · Take Action

One vote left

The House passed SB 1014 and sent it back to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman decides when the final vote happens. Call him today.

2

session days left

The Senate is scheduled to be in Harrisburg for only 2 more session days before the session ends on November 30. The ask is simple: pass SB 1014, phone-free schools, this week.

The Current Status

Back in the Senate for a final vote

  • Governor Shapiro supports bell-to-bell phone-free schools and has asked for a bill on his desk.
  • The Senate passed SB 1014 in February, 46 to 1.
  • The House amended SB 1014 to match its own bill, HB 1814, and to include private schools.
  • On October 19, the House passed SB 1014, 141 to 62, and sent it back to the Senate.
  • The Senate now needs one more vote, to agree to the House's changes. Then the bill goes to the governor.
  • Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman decides when that vote happens.
  • If the Senate does not vote by November 30, 2026, the bill dies and the process starts over from the beginning.

Pennsylvania is one of only eight states with no phone-free schools legislation at all. Both chambers have now passed SB 1014 with bipartisan margins. The only step left is a Senate vote on the House's changes, and Senator Pittman controls the Senate calendar.

Follow SB 1014 on the Legislation Tracker, or read why bell-to-bell works.

What You Can Do Today

Call Senator Pittman

A phone call takes two minutes. A staff member will answer and record your message. You do not need to live in his district to call: as Majority Leader, he decides what the whole Senate votes on.

1

Call Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman

Call his Harrisburg office. You can read this word for word:

Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your town]. I am calling to ask Senator Pittman to bring SB 1014, the phone-free schools bill, up for a final vote this week. The Senate already passed this bill 46 to 1, and the House has now sent it back. Parents and schools across Pennsylvania are waiting for it. Please pass phone-free schools this week. Thank you.
Call (717) 787-8724Or email through his contact page ↗
2

Your own state senator

Ask your senator to tell leadership they want the vote this week. Look them up by address.

Find my senator ↗
3

SB 1014's sponsors

Thank them for their work, and ask what they need from parents to get the bill across the finish line this week.

4

Text Governor Shapiro

The governor supports phone-free schools. Thank him, and ask him to urge Senate leadership to hold the final vote. His office reads the texts that come in to this line.

Governor Shapiro, thank you for supporting bell-to-bell phone-free schools. The House has passed SB 1014. Please urge Senate leadership to hold the final vote this week so the bill reaches your desk.
Text 717-788-8990

On a computer? Text that number from your phone. The first reply asks you to sign up for his text line.

What You Can Say

A letter you can use

For email and contact forms. Copy it, fill in the brackets, and paste it in. A sentence or two about your own child or school makes it stronger.

Subject: Pass SB 1014, phone-free schools, this week

Fill in the brackets before you send.

Dear [Senator], I am a [parent / teacher / grandparent / constituent] in [your town], and I am writing to ask you to pass SB 1014, the phone-free schools bill, this week. The Senate passed SB 1014 by a vote of 46 to 1. On October 19, the House passed it 141 to 62 and returned it to the Senate. One vote stands between Pennsylvania students and bell-to-bell phone-free schools. Governor Shapiro supports this bill and has asked for it on his desk. If it does not pass before the session ends on November 30, the work starts over, and Pennsylvania stays one of only eight states with no phone-free schools legislation at all. Here is why it matters: • Nearly 1 in 4 Pennsylvania students spend 4 or more hours a day on social media alone (PA Youth Survey, 2025). School should be a break from that. • Teens spend about 70 minutes of every school day on their phones (JAMA, 2026). With the time it takes to refocus after each interruption, that adds up to nearly a full day of instruction lost every week. • 1 in 5 teens report being solicited online by a stranger, and that is happening during the school day. • The recent verdicts against Meta and YouTube confirm that these platforms are designed to be addictive and unsafe. They do not belong in classrooms. Very few Pennsylvania districts have acted on their own, and many have said they are waiting for Harrisburg. Parents and schools are ready. Please bring SB 1014 to a final vote and pass it this week. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address, so they can confirm you are a constituent] [Your school district]

Pass phone-free schools this week.

Then ask two friends to do the same. Want to stay in the loop as this moves?

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