| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Hilton of the 48 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | , Jones of the 47 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Gaines of the 120 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Rice of the 139 |
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| 10 | 10 | | th |
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| 11 | 11 | | , |
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| 12 | 12 | | Barrett of the 24 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | , and others |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT |
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| 17 | 17 | | To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1 |
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| 19 | 19 | | elementary and secondary education, so as to enact the "Distraction-Free Education Act"; to2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | require local school systems and public schools to enact policies and procedures for use of3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | personal electronic devices at school and school sponsored events by students in kindergarten4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | through eighth grade; to provide for permissible student use of personal electronic devices;5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | to authorize the Department of Education to provide guidance and technical assistance; to6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | prohibit certain waivers; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 1.10 |
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| 28 | 28 | | This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Distraction-Free Education Act."11 |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2.12 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and13 |
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| 31 | 31 | | secondary education, is amended in Part 15 of Article 6, relating to miscellaneous provisions14 |
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| 32 | 32 | | under the "Quality Basic Education Act," by adding a new Code section to read as follows:15 |
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| 35 | 35 | | "20-2-324.8.16 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:17 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) 'Access' means viewing, holding, wearing, or otherwise using a device for the18 |
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| 38 | 38 | | purpose of communication, internet access, gaming, recording, listening to music, or any19 |
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| 39 | 39 | | other function commonly associated with personal electronic devices.20 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (2) 'Bell-to-bell' means the period beginning with the first bell signaling the start of21 |
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| 41 | 41 | | instructional time and ending with the final bell signaling the conclusion of the school22 |
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| 42 | 42 | | day and shall include all scheduled instructional time, breaks, transitions, assemblies, and23 |
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| 43 | 43 | | other school related activities occurring between the start and end of the school day.24 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (3) 'Distraction-free education' means a learning environment where access to personal25 |
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| 45 | 45 | | electronic devices is restricted to minimize distractions, improve academic outcomes, and26 |
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| 46 | 46 | | increase meaningful interactions and focused learning experiences.27 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (4) 'Personal electronic device' means any portable electronic device capable of28 |
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| 48 | 48 | | transmitting, receiving, or accessing communications, data, or media. Such term29 |
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| 49 | 49 | | includes, but is not limited to, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, e-readers, headphones,30 |
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| 50 | 50 | | and other devices with functionalities such as wireless communication, internet access,31 |
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| 51 | 51 | | messaging, video recording, gaming, social media access, or data transmission.32 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (5) 'School day' means the bell-to-bell period for students receiving instruction on a33 |
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| 53 | 53 | | school campus. Such term shall not apply to students receiving virtual or remote34 |
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| 54 | 54 | | instruction away from a school campus.35 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (6) 'School equipment' means any computer or computer networking equipment,36 |
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| 56 | 56 | | technology or technology related device or service, or communication system or service37 |
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| 57 | 57 | | that is operated, owned, leased, and made available to students by a local board of38 |
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| 58 | 58 | | education, local school system, or public school and that is used for transmitting,39 |
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| 59 | 59 | | receiving, or accessing communications, data, or media.40 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (b) Beginning no later than July 1, 2026, no public school student in kindergarten through41 |
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| 63 | 63 | | grade eight shall be permitted to access personal electronic devices during the school day,42 |
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| 64 | 64 | | except as otherwise provided in this Code section or required by law.43 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (c) By January 1, 2026, each local school system and public school shall adopt policies44 |
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| 66 | 66 | | and procedures that, at a minimum:45 |
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| 67 | 67 | | (1) Prohibit bell-to-bell access to personal electronic devices by students in kindergarten46 |
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| 68 | 68 | | through grade eight, subject to exceptions provided for by law;47 |
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| 69 | 69 | | (2) Establish appropriate methods for storing students' personal electronic devices,48 |
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| 70 | 70 | | including, but not limited to, a student's locker, a locked pouch, or a designated place in49 |
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| 71 | 71 | | the classroom;50 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (3) Establish clear procedures for off-site events or activities, including all school51 |
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| 73 | 73 | | sponsored events and field trips, daily transportation, athletic and extracurricular events,52 |
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| 74 | 74 | | and other instructional opportunities that do not occur on school grounds;53 |
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| 75 | 75 | | (4) Establish clear communication protocols that:54 |
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| 76 | 76 | | (A) Facilitate all emergency communication through school emergency communication55 |
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| 77 | 77 | | management systems and coordinated by school personnel;56 |
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| 78 | 78 | | (B) Require parents or guardians who need to communicate with their student during57 |
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| 79 | 79 | | the school day to contact the school directly; and58 |
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| 80 | 80 | | (C) Communicate rules for school personnel and sponsors of all school sponsored59 |
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| 81 | 81 | | events and field trips, daily transportation, athletic and extracurricular events, and other60 |
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| 82 | 82 | | instructional opportunities that do not occur on school grounds; and61 |
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| 83 | 83 | | (5) Provide that any student found in violation of such policies and procedures during62 |
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| 84 | 84 | | the school day shall be subject to progressive consequences in accordance with the local63 |
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| 85 | 85 | | school system's or public school's student code of conduct, including, but not limited to,64 |
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| 86 | 86 | | verbal warnings, confiscation of personal electronic devices, parental notification, and65 |
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| 87 | 87 | | other actions as deemed appropriate.66 |
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| 90 | 90 | | (d) A student whose Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 Plan, or67 |
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| 91 | 91 | | medical plan explicitly mandates the use of a personal electronic device for medical or68 |
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| 92 | 92 | | educational purposes shall be permitted to access the device as necessary to fulfill the69 |
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| 93 | 93 | | requirements of the respective program or plan.70 |
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| 94 | 94 | | (e)(1) Each local school system and public school shall:71 |
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| 95 | 95 | | (A) Implement appropriate monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure72 |
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| 96 | 96 | | compliance with policies and procedures established pursuant to this Code section,73 |
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| 97 | 97 | | which may include, but need not be limited to, assigning designated school personnel74 |
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| 98 | 98 | | to oversee implementation and adherence to such policies and procedures, conducting75 |
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| 99 | 99 | | periodic audits of personal electronic device storage, and regularly reviewing76 |
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| 100 | 100 | | enforcement practices;77 |
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| 101 | 101 | | (B) Ensure that parents, guardians, and students are informed of such policies and78 |
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| 102 | 102 | | procedures through student and family handbooks, student codes of conduct, school79 |
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| 103 | 103 | | public websites, and other common communication channels; and80 |
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| 104 | 104 | | (C) Regularly review the effectiveness of such policies and procedures and adjust as81 |
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| 105 | 105 | | necessary to ensure its continued alignment with educational goals and student82 |
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| 106 | 106 | | well-being.83 |
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| 107 | 107 | | (2) Each local school system and public school is encouraged to host student and parent84 |
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| 108 | 108 | | engagement activities designed to promote distraction-free education through personal85 |
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| 109 | 109 | | electronic device-free, independent play and learning, including, but not limited to,86 |
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| 110 | 110 | | family workshops, question and answer sessions, town halls, mindfulness or enrichment87 |
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| 111 | 111 | | sessions, screen-free challenges, and participation in initiatives that encourage students88 |
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| 112 | 112 | | to engage in meaningful, personal electronic device-free play and activities.89 |
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| 113 | 113 | | (f) The Department of Education shall provide local school systems and public schools90 |
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| 114 | 114 | | with guidance and technical support for the effective implementation and enforcement of91 |
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| 115 | 115 | | the provisions of this Code section.92 |
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| 118 | 118 | | (g) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed or applied to prohibit or limit a local93 |
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| 119 | 119 | | school system or public school from providing school equipment, including, but not limited94 |
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| 120 | 120 | | to, laptops and tablets, for student use for educational purposes.95 |
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| 121 | 121 | | (h) This Code section shall not be subject to waiver pursuant to Code Section 20-2-82 for96 |
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| 122 | 122 | | a strategic waivers school system, Code Section 20-2-2063.2 or 20-2-2065 for a charter97 |
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| 123 | 123 | | system, Code Section 20-2-2065 for a charter school, Code Section 20-2-2096.3 for a98 |
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| 124 | 124 | | completion special school, or Code Section 20-2-244."99 |
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| 125 | 125 | | SECTION 3.100 |
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| 126 | 126 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.101 |
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