A proposal to limit cell phone use in classrooms across the state passed the House today, reviving legislation that failed in 2025.
House Bill 4141 would require all school districts and charter schools to implement policies governing wireless device use on school grounds, replacing the current system where individual schools set their own rules.
Under the proposed mandate, high school students would be prohibited from using phones during class time. Middle and elementary school students would face stricter restrictions, unable to use devices during instructional time, breaks, lunch and recess.
The bill defines wireless communications devices as electronics capable of text messaging, voice communication, entertainment, navigation, internet access, photo and video sharing, or email. Basic phones used primarily for voice calling would be exempt from the restrictions.
Several exemptions would be built into the policy, including medically necessary devices, district-owned equipment like school-issued tablets and laptops, devices for special education programming, and phones used for specific academic assignments at a teacher's discretion.
Schools enrolling students across multiple grade levels could meet requirements by implementing policies that prohibit use during instructional time.
The legislation would repeal the current section of state law that allows individual school boards to adopt their own communication device policies.
The bill still needs approval from the state Senate and the governor's desk before becoming law.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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