Revision: March 13, 2025, 11:51 a.m.
HB 781-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
13Mar2025... 0733h
2025 SESSION
25-0843
02/09
HOUSE BILL 781-FN
AN ACT requiring school districts to adopt policies establishing a cell phone-free education.
SPONSORS: Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32
COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires school districts to adopt policies governing student cell phone use in schools.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13Mar2025... 0733h 25-0843
02/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT requiring school districts to adopt policies establishing a cell phone-free education.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Cell Phone Use Policy. Amend RSA 189:1-a by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:
V. School boards and the board of trustees of chartered public schools shall develop and adopt a policy governing the use of student cell phones and other personal electronic communication devices in schools. The policy shall, at a minimum, restrict the use of student personal cell phones during class instruction, with approved exceptions determined by the superintendent or their designee with respect to student medical, disability, or language proficiency needs. School district policies shall not prohibit students with medical needs, such as insulin pumps and glucose sensors, or disabilities from using a device to support their learning as identified by their individualized education program (IEP), plan developed under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. section 794, or when required to support emergent multilingual students with appropriate language access programs and services pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
25-0843
1/10/25
HB 781-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $352,000 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $250,000 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
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Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Local Revenue | $0 | $250,000 | $0 | $0 | ||
Local Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable | $0 | $0 | ||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill, assumed to be effective for the 2025-2026 school year, requires public schools to adopt policies to limit the use of smartphones by students, and provides a $250,000 general fund appropriation in FY 2026 to the Department of Education to reimburse districts for the implementation of cell phone use policies. While implementation costs for school districts is unknown, it is assumed the Department would receive reimbursement requests up to the $250,000 appropriation, and would make payments in FY 2026. The Department states it would need one (1) new seasonal temporary program specialist III position, at an estimated cost of $102,000 in FY 2026, to process reimbursement requests and distribute payments. This bill does not provide authorization for new personnel.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Education