Gov. Bob Ferguson wants cellphones out of Washington public schools from first bell to last, and he's putting legislation behind it.

Ferguson announced plans to file a bill on Monday, December 7, targeting implementation by September 2027. The proposal would create a uniform bell-to-bell ban, replacing the patchwork of district-level policies that emerged after State Superintendent Chris Reykdal issued guidance in 2024.

"It's time to have a statewide policy," Reykdal said, according to Spokane Public Radio. "You can't have two neighboring districts with totally different policies and not see the difference."

About 75% of Washington school districts already restrict cellphone use in some form, following Reykdal's 2024 guidance. At least 29 other states have enacted their own bans, according to Spokane Public Radio's reporting.

For Olympia-area families, the ban would apply to all local public schools, including Olympia, Tumwater, and North Thurston school districts.

Under Ferguson's proposal, every district would be required to enforce the same policy by fall 2027, regardless of what rules they have on the books now.

The push comes after a legislative session where State Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) sponsored a cellphone bill that was ultimately watered down to a study, with policy recommendations not due until December 2027 and a 2030 implementation deadline.

Ferguson's timeline would leapfrog that process by more than two years.

Not everyone in Olympia is on board. House Education Committee Chair Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle) said she believes the issue belongs at the local level and wants to wait for the Liias-commissioned study before acting.

The bill's fate will depend on whether the Legislature shares Ferguson's urgency when the session opens in January 2027.