Revision: June 3, 2025, 2:04 p.m.
Rep. McFarlane, Graf. 18
June 3, 2025
2025-2644h
05/09
Floor Amendment to SB 206-FN
Amend RSA 189:1-a, V as inserted by section 1 of the bill by replacing it with the following:
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 or gaming devices in schools. Such policy shall prohibit all personal electronic communication or gaming 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. Such policy shall not be construed to prohibit use of such devices for emergency communications or to deter acts of physical violence or bullying. Nor shall such policy be construed, when and to the extent that schools require the use of laptops or tablets for educational purposes, to prohibit the use of other privately-owned laptops and tablets as an alternative to school-issued/managed laptops and tablets.
2025-2644h
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires school districts and chartered public schools to adopt policies establishing a cell phone-free education and restricts the use of personal electronic communications or gaming devices in schools.