The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- the signature defense policy and spending bill -- will ban cellphones for K-12 students attending schools on military bases.The bipartisan provision, focused on improving learning outcomes for children of U.S.
servicemembers, was sponsored by freshman Sen.Jim Banks, R-Ind.The NDAA, a $900 billion must-pass defense bill, takes a major step towards reducing distractions for tens of thousands of students, according to the REFOCUS DoDEA Act.
The provision is co-led by Banks and his Armed Services committee colleague Sen.Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
Their committee has federal jurisdiction over the schools on military bases.In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Banks said the key provision has national security, recruitment, and retention implications.Kids who have smartphones by age 12 have higher risk of depression, obesity: Study"We invest in them [our troops], we train them, we pay them, and if they serve in the military for ten or 12 years and decide to get out because their kids are going to a crappy school, that's a national security issue," Banks told ABC News."It's a retention issue," he said, adding, "We've got to do something to address it and improve it."There are over 65,000 students at 161 schools in U.S.military bases in 11 foreign countries, seven states, and two territories (Guam and Puerto Rico), according to Banks.Sen.
Jim Banks leaves a meeting with banking executives at the Capitol Visitors Center, Dec.11, 2025.Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesBanks, a U.S.
Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, told ABC News that military families are interested in improving schools on base and have been pushing for change."It's frustrating for them," Banks said, adding, "It's the only option for them, so they want Congress to do more to focus on improving the DoDEA schools."Banks said he believes the U.S.is in a military recruitment crisis that the Trump administration has been addressing broadly at the Department o...