First Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
on Second Reading in the Second House
LLS NO. 25-0491.01 Jacob Baus x2173
HOUSE BILL 25-1135
House Committees Senate Committees
Education Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
C
ONCERNING REQUIRING THE ADOPTION OF A POLICY REGARDING101
STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN SCHOOLS .102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov
.)
The bill requires, on or before July 1, 2026, each institute charter
school, district charter school, and a local board of education for its
schools that are not district charter schools to adopt and implement a
policy concerning student communication device possession and use
during the school day. At a minimum, the policy must describe the
prohibitions, if any, and exceptions, if any, regarding student
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
April 3, 2025
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
February 25, 2025
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
February 21, 2025
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Lukens and Bradfield, Martinez, Phillips, Stewart K., Bacon, Brown, Camacho, Duran,
English, Hamrick, Lindsay, Mauro, McCluskie, McCormick, Rutinel, Story, Valdez
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Marchman and Frizell,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. communication device possession and use during the school day.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds that:3
(a) Research demonstrates that student cell phone use during the4
school day can create significant distractions that result in higher rates of5
cyberbullying and negative effects on student academic performance and6
mental health;7
(b) Nearly two-thirds of teenagers in the United States report8
using social media every day, and one-third of teenagers report using9
social media "almost constantly";10
(c) A longitudinal cohort study of American adolescents found11
that adolescents who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media had12
double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including13
symptoms of anxiety and depression; and14
(d) A majority of parents and legal guardians of adolescents report15
that they are worried that their child's use of social media could lead to16
poor mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and low17
self-esteem; harassment or bullying; social and peer pressure; and18
exposure to explicit content.19
(2) Therefore, the general assembly declares it necessary for each20
charter school and local board of education to adopt and implement a21
policy concerning student communication device possession and use22
during the school day for the health, safety, and welfare of students.23
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 22-1-148 as24
follows:25
1135-2- 22-1-148. Policy for student possession and use of1
communication devices - exemption - definitions. (1) A
S USED IN THIS2
SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :3
(a) (I) "C
OMMUNICATION DEVICE " MEANS A DEVICE THAT IS4
CAPABLE OF MAKING AND RECEIVING CALLS , SENDING AND RECEIVING5
TEXT MESSAGES, OR ACCESSING THE INTERNET.6
(II) "C
OMMUNICATION DEVICE " INCLUDES A CELL PHONE OR7
WATCH WITH THE CAPABILITIES DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(a)(I) OF8
THIS SECTION.9
(III) "C
OMMUNICATION DEVICE " DOES NOT INCLUDE A DEVICE,
10
SUCH AS A LAPTOP OR TABLET:11
(A) M
ADE AVAILABLE TO A STUDENT BY THE SCHOOL OR THE
12
SCHOOL DISTRICT; OR13
(B) U
SED BY THE STUDENT AS REQUIRED BY THE SCHOOL OR THE
14
SCHOOL DISTRICT.15
(b) "P
OLICY" MEANS THE POLICY CONCERNING STUDENT16
COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION AND USE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY17
ADOPTED AND IMPLEMENTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION
(3)(a) OF THIS18
SECTION.19
(c) "S
CHOOL DAY" MEANS THE TIME PERIOD WHEN A PUBLIC20
SCHOOL PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL SERVICES TO STUDENTS WHO ARE21
ENROLLED IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.22 (2) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 5, 2026, THE DEPARTMENT OF23
EDUCATION SHALL MAKE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE A COLLECTION OF24
ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES AND RESEARCH THAT MAY ASSIST IN THE25
DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION .26
(3) (a) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR27
1135
-3- THE DEAF AND THE BLIND, AND EACH INSTITUTE CHARTER SCHOOL ,1
DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOL, AND LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR ITS2
SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOLS SHALL ADOPT AND3
IMPLEMENT A POLICY CONCERNING STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE4
POSSESSION AND USE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY . AT A MINIMUM, THE5
POLICY MUST DESCRIBE:6
(I) T
HE PROHIBITIONS, IF ANY, AND EXCEPTIONS, IF ANY,7
REGARDING STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION DURING THE8
SCHOOL DAY; AND9
(II) T
HE PROHIBITIONS, IF ANY, AND EXCEPTIONS, IF ANY, OF10
STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE USE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY .11
(b) N
OTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION
(3)(a) OF THIS SECTION, THE12
POLICY MUST NOT PROHIBIT A STUDENT FROM POSSESSING AND USING A13
COMMUNICATION DEVICE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY IF THE POSSESSION14
AND USE ARE NECESSARY AS AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION15
ACCOMMODATION PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL "AMERICANS WITH16
D
ISABILITIES ACT OF 1990", 42 U.S.C. SEC. 12101 ET SEQ.; TO COMPLY17
WITH THE STUDENT'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM , AS DEFINED18
IN SECTION 22-20-103, OR THE STUDENT'S SECTION 504 PLAN, AS DEFINED19
IN SECTION 22-20-123; OR TO MONITOR OR ADDRESS THE STUDENT 'S20
MEDICAL CONDITION.21(4) IN DEVELOPING THE POLICY, THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR THE22
DEAF AND THE BLIND, CHARTER SCHOOL, OR LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION23
MAY:24
(a) L
IMIT STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION AND USE25
DURING THE SCHOOL DAY;26
(b) C
ONSIDER STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION AND27
1135
-4- USE FOR PREVENTION OR RESPONSE TO AN EMERGENCY ;1
(c) C
ONSIDER PROHIBITIONS AND EXCEPTIONS FOR STUDENT2
COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION AND USE THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO3
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS , MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND HIGH4
SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THAT ARE APPROPRIATE BASED ON THE AGES AND5
DEVELOPMENTAL MATURITY OF STUDENTS WHO ATTEND EACH TYPE OF6
SCHOOL;7
(d) C
ONSIDER EXCEPTIONS THAT ALLOW STUDENT8
COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION AND USE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY9
FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES OR TO MAKE A SAFE 2TELL REPORT;10
(e) C
ONSIDER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM STAFF ;11
(f) C
ONSIDER TRAINING NECESSARY FOR STAFF WHO ARE REQUIRED12
TO UNDERSTAND AND ENFORCE THE POLICY AND STAFF 'S CAPACITY TO13
COMPLETE THE TRAINING OR ANY NEW REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH14
THE POLICY;15
(g) C
ONSIDER CONSULTING WITH STAFF WHO ARE OR A LOCAL16
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO UNDERSTAND AND17
ENFORCE THE POLICY PRIOR TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION ;
18
(h) C
ONSIDER UNINTENDED BURDENS , INCLUDING ADDITIONAL19
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
POLICY;20
(i) CONSIDER ANY AVAILABLE EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCES AND21
RESEARCH CONCERNING STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION22
AND USE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY ; 23
(j) CONSIDER STUDENT COMMUNICATION DEVICE POSSESSION AND24
USE ON AND OFF OF SCHOOL GROUNDS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY ,25
INCLUDING APPLICABILITY FOR AN ONLINE SCHOOL, ONLINE PROGRAM, OR26
ONLINE COURSE; AND27
1135
-5- (k) CONSIDER ISSUES RELATED TO MEDIA LITERACY AND SOCIAL1
AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING .2
(5) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR THE3
DEAF AND THE BLIND, AND EACH CHARTER SCHOOL AND LOCAL BOARD OF4
EDUCATION SHALL POST ITS POLICY ON ITS WEBSITE .5
(6) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR6
THE DEAF AND THE BLIND, A CHARTER SCHOOL, OR A LOCAL BOARD OF7
EDUCATION IF THE COLORADO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND, THE8
CHARTER SCHOOL, OR THE LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPTS AND9
IMPLEMENTS A POLICY REGARDING THE POSSESSION AND USE OF10
COMMUNICATION DEVICES OR CELL PHONES ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 31,11
2025.12
SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act13
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the14
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except15
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V16
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this17
act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take18
effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in19
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the20
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.21
1135
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