Starting this fall, Utah students will not be allowed to use their phones during the school day — including at lunch, recess and free periods.

The sweeping prohibition became law Wednesday after Gov. Spencer Cox signed SB69, which bans all personal devices during the school day, known as a “bell-to-bell” ban. School-issued laptops and other electronics are still permitted.

In a news release, Cox said SB69, alongside other measures, are meant to help students “develop healthier habits with technology.”

“By reducing screen time in schools and strengthening digital safety, we’re establishing our bell-to-bell cell phone restriction so students can focus, connect and learn,” Cox said.

The new law overturns the state’s more permissive policy passed last year. That law barred students from using smartphones, smartwatches and other “emerging technology” during class time only, though it allowed school districts to enact stricter policies if they chose to.

And many did. For instance, the Washington County, Canyons and Alpine school districts already imposed all-day bans for certain grade levels. Because of those existing policies, some students will see little difference when the law takes effect this fall, while others will face a new restriction.

Christy Jacobs, an elementary school music teacher with the Davis School District, said she supports the bell-to-bell ban.

“Banning phones removes one of the biggest distractions from my classroom,” Jacobs said. “Without phones in the classroom, my classroom management is more effective, students are able to pay attention better to instructions and we can focus on learning and making music much more efficiently.”

The law carves out several exceptions, such as allowing students to use their devices during an emergency or if a student’s disability requires those accommodations.

Schools will also be allowed to create policies that provide “for other circumstances” when a student may use their device at school. Specifically, schools could allow a parent to request an accommodation for their child to “briefly” use their phone in a “specified area” during non-instructional time, according to the law.

“Some students, and possibly parents, will likely be upset about a ban,” Jacobs said. “However, schools have always had the right to set their own rules, banning things like toys, trading cards or dangerous objects. For most students, a cell phone is just the digital equivalent of a toy.”

However, Amanda Funai, whose 16-year-old son attends Highland High School in Salt Lake City, said phones have a more functional role for older students. She explained that her son works part-time and sometimes his boss may need to contact him during school hours.

“[High schoolers] have jobs, or maybe transportation needs change,” Funai said. “They might be watching younger siblings. They might need to communicate with someone.”

Overall, Funai said she wished lawmakers would let schools decide on the matter, rather than pass a sweeping prohibition.

“I am not sure if it needs to be a state law,” she said. “I think it would probably be better if each school decided what works best.”

Schools can also enact stricter policies, extending the device ban to school activities and events that take place during non-school hours, the law states.