1| SENATE FLOOR VERSION | | April 8, 2025 | 2| | | | 3|ENGROSSED HOUSE | |BILL NO. 1276 By: Caldwell (Chad), Lowe | 4| (Dick), Moore, and Burns of | | the House | 5| | | and | 6| | | Seifried of the Senate | 7| | | | 8| | | | 9| An Act relating to schools; requiring district boards | | of education to adopt a policy prohibiting student | 10| cell phone and personal electronic device use under | | certain circumstances; requiring exceptions for | 11| emergencies; allowing board approval to opt out of | | prohibition; requiring annual approval of alternative | 12| policies; defining terms; providing for codification; | | providing an effective date; and declaring an | 13| emergency. | | | 14| | | | 15|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 16| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 17|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 24-162 of Title 70, unless there | | | 18|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 19| A. Before the start of the 2025-2026 school year, each school | | | 20|district board of education shall adopt a policy to prohibit the use | | | 21|of cell phones and personal electronic devices by students enrolled | | | 22|in the district during the entirety of the school day and while | | | 23|present on school grounds. | | | 24| | | | arsid11233589 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1276 SFLR Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| B. District policies described in subsection A of this section | | | 2|shall incorporate provisions for emergency use including, but not | | | 3|limited to, use to support medical issues documented by a licensed | | | 4|medical professional. | | | 5| C. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, a school | | | 6|district board of education may vote to adopt a policy allowing | | | 7|student cell phone or personal electronic device usage during the | | | 8|school day. Any such policy shall be reviewed and approved by the | | | 9|district board on an annual basis. | | | 10| D. For purposes of this section: | | | 11| 1. "Cell phone" means a portable wireless telephone device that | | | 12|is designed to send or receive transmissions through a cellular | | | 13|radiotelephone service; | | | 14| 2. "Personal electronic device" means any personal device | | | 15|capable of connecting to a smart phone, the Internet, a cellular or | | | 16|Wi-Fi network, or directly connecting to another similar device. | | | 17|Personal electronic devices include, but are not limited to, smart | | | 18|watches, smart headphones, laptops, tablets, and smart glasses. | | | 19|Personal electronic devices shall not include devices that are | | | 20|school-issued or school-approved and specifically limited for use in | | | 21|classroom instruction; and | | | 22| 3. "School day" means the entirety of the day, from the first | | | 23|bell indicating the beginning of classroom instruction through the | | | 24|final bell indicating the end of classroom instruction. | | | arsid11233589 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1276 SFLR Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025. | | | 2| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation | | | 3|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby | | | 4|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and | | | 5|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. | | | 6|COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION | |April 8, 2025 - DO PASS | 7| | | | 8| | | | 9| | | | 10| | | | 11| | | | 12| | | | 13| | | | 14| | | | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | arsid11233589 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1276 SFLR Page 3