SB 206-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
03/13/2025 0742s
5Jun2025... 2249h
2025 SESSION
25-1036
02/05
SENATE BILL 206-FN
SPONSORS: Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23
COMMITTEE: Education
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requiring school districts and chartered public schools to adopt policies establishing a cell phone-free education.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/13/2025 0742s
5Jun2025... 2249h 25-1036
02/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
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. Such policy shall prohibit all personal communication device use by students from when the first bell rings to start instructional time until the dismissal bell rings to end the academic school day, with approved exceptions determined by the superintendent or their designee with respect to student medical, disability, or language proficiency need. Such policy shall be developed in collaboration with school parents and teachers and shall be reviewed annually. School district and chartered public school 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.
25-1036
4/16/25
SB 206-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2025-0742s)
AN ACT requiring public schools to adopt policies to limit the use of cell phones by students.
FISCAL IMPACT:
| ||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 |
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable | ||
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. Costs associated with this bill, if any, are indeterminable and would vary from district to district.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Education
| Date | Amendment |
|---|---|
| March 5, 2025 | 2025-0742s |
| May 27, 2025 | 2025-2471h |
| May 28, 2025 | 2025-2249h |
| June 2, 2025 | 2025-2603h |
| June 3, 2025 | 2025-2644h |
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 4, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| March 13, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
| April 7, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| May 20, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| May 20, 2025 | House | Floor Vote |
| House | Floor Vote |
June 20, 2025: Conference Committee Report: Not Filed HJ 17
June 17, 2025: Conferee Change: Rep. Osborne Replaces Rep. Noble 06/17/2025 HJ 17
June 17, 2025: Committee of Conference Meeting: 06/19/2025, 02:00 pm, Room 100, SH
June 12, 2025: Committee of Conference Meeting: 06/17/2025, 02:00 pm, Room 100, SH
June 11, 2025: ==CANCELLED== Committee of Conference Meeting: 06/16/2025, 10:30 am, Room 100, SH
June 11, 2025: Speaker Appoints: Reps. Cordelli, Noble, Litchfield, Nadeau 06/05/2025 HJ 16
June 11, 2025: House Accedes to Senate Request for CofC (Rep. Kofalt): MA VV 06/05/2025 HJ 16
June 11, 2025: President Appoints: Senators Ward, Ricciardi, Fenton; (In Recess 06/05/2025); SJ 16
June 11, 2025: Sen. Ward Moved Nonconcur with the House Amendment; Requests C of C, MA, VV; (In Recess 06/05/2025); SJ 16
June 5, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2025-2249h: MA DV 314-42 06/05/2025 HJ 16
June 5, 2025: Amendment # 2025-2603h: AF RC 164-192 06/05/2025 HJ 16
June 5, 2025: Amendment # 2025-2249h (NT): AA DV 345-9 06/05/2025 HJ 16
May 28, 2025: Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2603h
May 28, 2025: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-2249h (NT) 05/20/2025 (Vote 9-8; RC) HC 27 P. 18
May 12, 2025: Executive Session: 05/20/2025 09:30 am LOB 206-208
April 1, 2025: Public Hearing: 04/07/2025 10:15 am LOB 205-207
March 28, 2025: Introduced (in recess of) 03/27/2025 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 11 P. 112
March 13, 2025: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2025-0742s, MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/13/2025; SJ 7
March 13, 2025: Committee Amendment # 2025-0742s, AA, VV; 03/13/2025; SJ 7
March 7, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2025-0742s, 03/13/2025; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 12
Jan. 28, 2025: Hearing: 02/04/2025, Room 101, LOB, 09:45 am; SC 8
Jan. 23, 2025: Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Education; SJ 3