House File 273 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 273 BY MADISON , GOSA , McBURNEY , BROWN-POWERS , GAINES , and AMOS JR. A BILL FOR An Act relating to student access to personal electronic 1 devices in schools. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1233YH (8) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 273 Section 1. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0t. Be subject to and comply with the 3 requirements of section 280.36 relating to a policy governing 4 student use of personal electronic devices in the same manner 5 as a school district. 6 Sec. 2. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 7 by adding the following new paragraph: 8 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 9 requirements of section 280.36 relating to a policy governing 10 student use of personal electronic devices in the same manner 11 as a school district. 12 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 280.36 Limitation on the use of 13 personal electronic devices policy. 14 1. On or before December 31, 2025, the board of directors 15 of a school district and the authorities in charge of each 16 accredited nonpublic school shall adopt a policy that prohibits 17 student use of personal electronic devices during classroom 18 instructional time. At a minimum, the policy must meet all of 19 the following requirements: 20 a. Apply to all attendance centers within the school 21 district or accredited nonpublic school; provided, however, 22 that the policy may establish different expectations and 23 disciplinary actions for different grade levels. 24 b. Describe with specificity the expectations related to 25 student use of personal electronic devices during the school 26 day and disciplinary actions the school district or accredited 27 nonpublic school shall take if a student violates the policy. 28 c. Authorize a teacher to allow a student to use a personal 29 electronic device during classroom instructional time for 30 educational purposes. 31 d. Allow a student to use a personal electronic device in 32 the event of an emergency. 33 e. Allow a student to use a personal electronic device to 34 manage the students health care. 35 -1- LSB 1233YH (8) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
H.F. 273 f. Allow a student who has an individualized education 1 program, or a plan under section 504 of the federal 2 Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 794, to use the students 3 personal electronic device during classroom instructional time 4 if the students individualized education program, or a plan 5 under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 6 794, requires such use. 7 2. The board of directors of a school district and the 8 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall 9 do all of the following: 10 a. Make the policy adopted pursuant to subsection 1 11 available to the public, including by publishing the policy on 12 the school districts or accredited nonpublic schools internet 13 site and on the internet site of each attendance center within 14 the school district or accredited nonpublic school. 15 b. Provide the department of education with a copy of the 16 policy. 17 c. Include the policy in the school districts or accredited 18 nonpublic schools student handbook. 19 d. Provide the parent or guardian of each student enrolled 20 in the school district or accredited nonpublic school with 21 notice of the policy by doing any one of the following: 22 (1) Providing the parent or guardian with a copy of the 23 policy via electronic mail. 24 (2) Providing the parent or guardian with a copy of the 25 policy by sending a copy of the policy home with the student. 26 (3) Sending a note home with the student indicating where 27 the parent or guardian may view the policy. 28 3. For purposes of this section, personal electronic 29 device means any of the following: 30 a. A cellular phone. 31 b. An electronic device that combines a cellular phone with 32 a hand-held computer and that offers internet access, and text 33 or electronic mail capabilities. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -2- LSB 1233YH (8) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
H.F. 273 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 This bill relates to student access to personal electronic 3 devices in schools. 4 On or before December 31, 2025, the bill requires school 5 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, 6 and innovation zone schools to adopt a policy that prohibits 7 student use of personal electronic devices during classroom 8 instructional time. The bill defines personal electronic 9 device as a cellular phone or any electronic device that 10 combines a cellular phone with a hand-held computer and 11 that offers internet access, and text or electronic mail 12 capabilities. The bill establishes what the policy is to 13 include. The bill requires school districts, accredited 14 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone 15 schools to make the policy available to the public, provide 16 the department of education with copies of the policy, include 17 the policy in the school districts or accredited nonpublic 18 schools student handbook, and provide the parent or guardian 19 of each student with notice of the policy or a copy of the 20 policy. 21 -3- LSB 1233YH (8) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3