GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 87
Committee Substitute Favorable 2/25/25
Third Edition Engrossed 3/25/25
Short Title: Cell Phone-Free Education. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
February 11, 2025
*H87-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO DEVELOP POLICIES TO RESTRICT STUDENT USE OF CELL PHONES IN 2
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1.(a) Article 7B of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 5
adding a new Part to read: 6
"Part 7. Classroom Policies. 7
"§ 115C-77.1. Cell phone-free education policy. 8
(a) Governing bodies of public school units shall adopt a cell phone-free education policy 9
to eliminate or severely restrict student access to cell phones during instructional time. 10
(b) The cell phone-free education policy shall allow student use of cell phones during 11
instructional time as follows: 12
(1) If authorized by a teacher for educational purposes. The governing body may 13
establish parameters to be followed by a teacher in granting authorizations. 14
(2) As required by the student's individualized education program or section 504 15
(29 U.S.C. § 794) plan. 16
(3) As required to manage a student's health care, in accordance with a 17
documented medical condition. 18
(c) At the beginning of each school year, governing bodies of public school units shall 19
notify parents of all students enrolled in the public school unit of the Cell Phone-Free Education 20
Policy adopted under subsection (a) of this section. 21
(d) The requirements of this section shall not apply to the following: 22
(1) Remote charter academies as defined in G.S. 115C-218.120. 23
(2) Remote academies as defined in G.S. 115C-234." 24
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-77.1 as enacted by this act shall not apply to virtual 25
charter schools participating in the pilot program as authorized by Section 8.35 of S.L. 2014-100, 26
as amended by Section 8.13 of S.L. 2016-94, Section 7.13 of S.L. 2018-5, Section 7.13 of S.L. 27
2022-74, and Section 7.26 of S.L. 2023-134. 28
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 29
the 2025-2026 school year. 30