The proposed bill establishes the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program, which aims to provide $2 million in grants to public schools in New Jersey to promote 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 and academic performance. 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 program must submit an application detailing how the funding will help limit student use of these technologies. While schools are encouraged to adopt the recommended best practices, they are not mandated to do so to receive funding. Additionally, schools receiving grants must submit annual reports on their use of the funds and the impact of their policies on various student outcomes, including academic achievement and behavior. The Commissioner will compile this information to evaluate the program's effectiveness and report to the Governor and Legislature.