On September 28, the WeChat public account of "Shangluo People's Congress" released a notice stating that the Standing Committee of the Shangluo Municipal People's Congress in Shaanxi Province has announced the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the Shangluo Municipal People's Congress on Strengthening the Management of the Use of Mobile Phones and Other Smart Terminal Products by Primary and Secondary School Students" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"). The Decision was adopted on August 27, 2026 at the 31st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fifth Shangluo Municipal People's Congress, and was approved on September 23, 2026 at the 25th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress. It is hereby promulgated and shall take effect on the date of promulgation.

What the Decision covers

The full text of the Decision is as follows: In order to protect students' physical and mental health, maintain school teaching order, and regulate the management of the use of mobile phones and other smart terminal products by primary and secondary school students, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations and in light of the actual conditions of the city, the following decision is made:

Definition of smart terminal products

1. The mobile phones and other smart terminal products referred to in this Decision are portable smart terminal products that can access the internet, have an operating system, and allow users to install application software on their own, such as mobile phones, smart watches, learning machines, and tablet computers, which have gaming, social, and entertainment functions (hereinafter referred to as mobile phones).

Prohibition on bringing phones into schools

2. Students of ordinary primary and secondary schools and secondary vocational schools throughout the city are prohibited from bringing mobile phones into schools.

Special exceptions

3. If students have special needs such as illness, being left behind and needing care, or lack of guardianship, their parents or other guardians may submit a written application to the school. After the school reviews and approves it, the student may bring a mobile phone into the school. Mobile phones approved to be brought into the school shall be promptly handed over to the school for unified management. If students need to use them, they may apply to the school for temporary use. If the school carries out activities such as informatization teaching, scientific and technological innovation, or teaching practice that truly require students to use mobile phones, the time period and area of use shall be strictly limited and supervised by teachers.

Public communication facilities

4. Schools shall reasonably set up public communication facilities in public areas such as teaching areas, dormitory areas, and activity areas on campus to ensure smooth communication among the school, guardians, and students.

School management measures

5. Schools shall, in accordance with the actual conditions of the school and in accordance with the law, formulate mobile phone management measures. When formulating management measures, opinions from representatives of students, guardians, faculty and staff, and other parties shall be solicited.

Education and home-school coordination

6. Schools shall incorporate the scientific, civilized, safe, and reasonable use of mobile phones into the content of students' quality education, carry out education on mobile phone use, internet civilization, internet security, information discernment, and privacy protection, and cultivate students' awareness and ability to use mobile phones in a scientific and civilized manner. Schools shall, through parent meetings and other channels, publicize mobile phone management requirements to students' parents or other guardians, establish a home-school coordination mechanism, and jointly guide and regulate students' mobile phone use behavior.

Responsibilities of parents and guardians

7. Students' parents or other guardians shall fulfill the primary responsibility of family education, strengthen guidance and supervision of students' mobile phone use behavior, and support and cooperate with the school's mobile phone management work.

Handling of violations

8. If students are found to have illegally brought mobile phones into school or used them, the school shall keep them in custody on their behalf and promptly inform their parents or other guardians.

Effective date

9. This Decision shall take effect on the date of promulgation.