News Releases
Our press releases provide timely, accurate information about key initiatives, policy updates, and important events in Kansas education. They serve as an official source for news and announcements from the Kansas State Department of Education, helping educators, families, and communities stay informed about developments that impact schools statewide.
Law prohibiting cell phone use in a school or road construction zone in effect as of July 1
Jul 24, 2026
by Angela DeinesFor immediate release
July 24, 2026
Contact: Keith Dreiling, keith.dreiling@ksde.gov, KSDE school transportation safety unit
As of July 1, per House Substitute for Senate Bill 366, it is illegal to manually hold a mobile telephone and use it while operating a motor vehicle in a school or road construction zone at a time when a reduced speed limit is enforced.
Law enforcement officers will issue warnings for anyone they see as violating this law until July 1, 2027. After that, violators will be subject to $60 fines.
According to the law, exceptions for holding and using a mobile telephone in a school or road construction zone include the following:
Reporting current or ongoing illegal activity to a law enforcement agency;
Preventing imminent injury to a person or property;
Summoning medical or other emergency assistance; or
Relaying information between a transit or for-hire operator and the operator's dispatcher, if the device is permanently affixed to the motor vehicle.
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