EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0112*
SENATE BILL 112
F1 4lr0720
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Salling
Requested: September 27, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
County Boards of Education – Student Cellular Phone Use – Policy Required 2
FOR the purpose of requiring county boards of education to develop and adopt a policy that 3
prohibits students from using a cellular phone during instructional time except 4
under certain circumstances; exempting a county board that has an existing policy 5
on the student use of cellular phones during school hours from the requirement to 6
develop and adopt a new policy; and generally relating to county boards of education 7
and student cellular phone use policy. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 4–142 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
4–142. 17
(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A COUNTY BOARD THAT HAS AN 18
EXISTING POLICY ON T HE USE OF CELLULAR P HONES BY STUDENTS DURING SCHOOL 19
HOURS. 20
(B) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHA LL DEVELOP AND ADOPT A POLICY THAT 21
PROHIBITS A STUDENT FROM USING A CELLULAR PHONE DUR ING INSTRUCTION AL 22
TIME UNLESS A TEACHER EXPRESSLY DIRECT S THE STUDENT TO USE A CELLULAR 23 2 SENATE BILL 112
PHONE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURP OSES. 1
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 2
1, 2024. 3