SENATE BILL 29
F1 5lr0820
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senators Waldstreicher and Ready
Requested: September 12, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Phone–Free Schools Pilot Program – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Phone–Free Schools Pilot Program; requiring certain 3
local school systems to develop and implement a policy that prohibits student cell 4
phone use during the school day, subject to certain exceptions; and generally relating 5
to the Phone–Free Schools Pilot Program. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – Education 8
Section 7–136 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Education 14
7–136. 15
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANI NGS 16
INDICATED. 17
(2) “ELIGIBLE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM” MEANS: 18
(I) THE CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM; AND 19
(II) THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 20
(3) “INSTRUCTIONAL TIME ” MEANS ANY TIME DURIN G THE SCHOOL 21
DAY, EXCEPT A STUDENT ’S LUNCH PERIOD . 22
2 SENATE BILL 29
(4) “PILOT PROGRAM” MEANS THE PHONE–FREE SCHOOLS PILOT 1
PROGRAM. 2
(B) THERE IS A PHONE–FREE SCHOOLS PILOT PROGRAM. 3
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TO COLLECT DATA TO 4
DETERMINE THE EFFEC T OF LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM POLICIES THAT LIMIT STUDENT 5
USE OF CELL PHONES DURING THE SCHOOL DA Y ON: 6
(1) ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ; 7
(2) STUDENT CLASSROOM ENG AGEMENT; 8
(3) STUDENT SOCIAL INTERA CTIONS; AND 9
(4) STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE. 10
(D) (1) EACH ELIGIBLE LOCAL SCHOO L SYSTEM SHALL SELECT ONE 11
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ON E HIGH SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 12
PILOT PROGRAM. 13
(2) EACH ELIGIBLE LOCAL S CHOOL SYSTEM SHALL : 14
(I) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A POLICY THAT PROHIBITS 15
STUDENT CELL PHONE USE DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME; AND 16
(II) ESTABLISH PROCEDURES TO ENFORCE THE POLIC Y, 17
INCLUDING APPROPRIAT E DISCIPLINARY MEASU RES FOR VIOLATIONS . 18
(3) THE POLICY DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT 19
PROHIBIT A STUDENT F ROM USING A CELL PHO NE: 20
(I) FOR ANY PURPOSE DOCUM ENTED IN THE STUDENT ’S 21
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCA TION PROGRAM OR SECTION 504 PLAN; 22
(II) TO MONITOR OR ADDRESS A STUDENT’S DOCUMENTED 23
HEALTH ISSUE; OR 24
(III) WHEN DIRECTED BY AN E DUCATOR OR ADMINISTR ATOR 25
FOR EDUCATIONAL PURP OSES. 26
(E) (1) EACH ELIGIBLE LOCAL S CHOOL SYSTEM SHALL COLLECT DATA 27
REGARDING THE STUDENT CELL PHONE U SE POLICY, INCLUDING: 28 SENATE BILL 29 3
(I) ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN THE S CHOOL; 1
(II) STUDENT CLASSROOM ENG AGEMENT; 2
(III) STUDENT SOCIAL INTERA CTIONS, INCLUDING BULLYING , 3
CYBERBULLYING , AND HARASSMENT ; 4
(IV) STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE; 5
(V) ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGE S; 6
(VI) STUDENT FEEDBACK ON THE POLICY; 7
(VII) TEACHER FEEDBACK ON THE POLICY; AND 8
(VIII) PARENT OR GUARDIAN FE EDBACK ON THE POLICY. 9
(2) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, EACH ELIGIBLE LOCAL 10
SCHOOL SYSTEM SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT BASED ON THE DATA CO LLECTED UNDER 11
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT AND , IN ACCORDANCE 12
WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 13
ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PILOT PROGRAM. 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 15
1, 2025. 16