EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 368
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By: Senator Watson
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
County Boards of Education – Student Cellular Phone Use Policy – 2
Establishment 3
(Maryland Phone–Free Schools Act) 4
FOR the purpose of requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, 5
not later than a certain school year, a policy limiting the use of a cellular phone by a 6
student during the school day except under certain circumstances; and generally 7
relating to county boards of education and a student cellular phone use policy. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–136 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 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
7–136. 17
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “INSTRUCTIONAL TIME ” MEANS ANY TIME DURIN G 18
THE SCHOOL DAY , EXCEPT A STUDENT ’S LUNCH PERIOD . 19
(B) NOT LATER THAN THE 2026–2027 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH COUNTY BOARD 20
SHALL DEVELOP AND IM PLEMENT A POLICY TO LIMIT THE USE OF CEL LULAR 21
PHONES BY STUDENTS DURING INST RUCTIONAL TIME . 22
2 SENATE BILL 368
(C) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION , THE 1
POLICY DEVELOPED UND ER THIS SECTION SHAL L: 2
(1) PROHIBIT A STUDENT FR OM USING A CELLULAR PHONE DURING 3
INSTRUCTIONAL TIME ; 4
(2) REQUIRE A STUDENT TO STORE THE STUDENT ’S CELLULAR 5
PHONE IN A SECURE PL ACE DURING INSTRUCTI ONAL TIME; AND 6
(3) PROHIBIT A STUDENT FR OM USING THE SOCIAL MEDIA 7
APPLICATIONS AND SOC IAL MEDIA WEBSITES D ETERMINED BY THE COU NTY BOARD 8
DURING SCHOOL HOURS . 9
(D) THE POLICY DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SECTION M AY NOT PROHIBIT A 10
STUDENT FROM USING A CELLULAR PHONE : 11
(1) FOR ANY PURPOSE DOCUM ENTED IN THE STUDENT ’S 12
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCA TION PROGRAM OR SECTION 504 PLAN; 13
(2) TO MONITOR OR ADDRESS A STUDENT’S DOCUMENTED HEALTH 14
ISSUE; 15
(3) DURING AN EMERGENCY EVE NT; OR 16
(4) WHEN DIRECTED BY AN E DUCATOR OR ADMINISTR ATOR FOR 17
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES . 18
(E) (1) A POLICY DEVELOPED UND ER THIS SECTION SHAL L INCLUDE 19
APPROPRIATE DISCIPLI NARY MEASURES FOR VI OLATIONS OF THE POLI CY, 20
INCLUDING A WARNING FOR AN INITIAL VIOLATION . 21
(2) THE DISCIPLINARY MEAS URES ADOPTED UNDER P ARAGRAPH (1) 22
OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL BE ENFORCED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR . 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2025. 25