The proposed bill establishes the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program, which aims to provide $2 million in funding to public schools in New Jersey to promote the limited use of cell phones and social media during school hours and sanctioned events. The program is designed to address concerns regarding the negative impacts of excessive cell phone and social media use on students' mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. The Commissioner of Education is tasked with developing best practices and guidelines for participating schools, which must include age-appropriate policies, emergency use provisions, and recommendations for cell phone storage and network restrictions on social media access.

Public schools interested in the grant must submit an application detailing how the funding will help limit cell phone and social media use. While schools are encouraged to adopt the recommended best practices, they are not mandated to do so to receive funding. Grant awards will be distributed competitively, and participating schools are required to submit annual reports on their use of the funds and the impact of their policies on various student outcomes. The Commissioner will compile these reports to evaluate the program's effectiveness and provide an analysis to the Governor and Legislature, comparing the outcomes of grant recipients with those of schools that do not receive funding.