HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Legislation to limit students' use of smartphones during school has been signed into law.

Senate Bill 700, introduced by Sen. Ryan Aument (R-36), aims to improve student's mental health, academic performance, and social skills by giving schools resources to limit smartphone use during the school day. The law incorporates secure, lockable smartphone bags in which students can deposit their mobile devices until the end of the day.

The law amends the School Safety & Mental Health grant program to allow for these smartphone bags to be used as an eligible use of the funding. The bill funded the program at $100 million and provided each school district with an automatic base grant of $100,000 and each intermediate unit, area career and technical school, charter school, regional charter school, or cyber charter school with an automatic base grant of $70,000.

"This funding is a huge opportunity for any school district looking to address one of the major root causes of the mental health crisis plaguing our kids – smartphones and social media," Sen. Aument said. "Now that this proposal has been signed into law, I intend to work towards ensuring that every school district in Pennsylvania knows this funding is available to them and that a robust cellphone policy has the power to help them regain their students’ focus in class, restore the social environment on campus, and boost academic performance."

Studies have shown a steep decline in mental health in children since the 2010s, and their academic performance is suffering; Aument says this decline directly correlates to the rise of smartphones and social media apps.

"Kids spend so much time on social media and using their smartphones that it’s taking a toll on them mentally, emotionally, and academically," Aument continued. "Smartphone restrictions have proved successful in reversing these trends. Students deserve to learn without a constant distraction in their pockets, and my proposal would give them that."

The bill will also require schools to adopt an official policy to prohibit cellphone usage during the school day in exchange for grant funding to purchase smartphone bags. While this requirement and the funding tied to it are currently voluntary for school districts, Aument says he plans to pursue a statewide prohibition on cellphone use during school hours.