| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO REQUIRE REGULATION OF STUDENT USE OF WIRELESS 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | COMMUNICATION DEVICES DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME . 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Article 7B of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | adding a new Part to read: 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | "Part 8. Miscellaneous Requirements. 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | "§ 115C-76.100. Regulation of wireless communication devices. 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | (a) The following definitions apply in this section: 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | (1) Wireless communication device. – Any portable wireless device that has the 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | two or more parties, including the following: 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | a. Cellular telephones. 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | b. Tablet computers. 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | c. Laptop computers. 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | d. Paging devices. 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | e. Two-way radios. 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | f. Gaming devices. 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | (2) Wireless communication policy. – A policy governing the use of wireless 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | communication devices by students. 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | (b) The governing body of a public school unit shall establish a wireless communication 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | policy. At a minimum, except as permitted in subsection (c) of this section, the policy shall 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | prohibit students from using, displaying, or having a wireless communication device turned on 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | during instructional time. 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | (c) A wireless communication policy shall allow student use of a wireless communication 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | device during instructional time as follows: 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | (1) If authorized by a teacher for educational purposes or for use in the event of 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | an emergency. The governing body may establish parameters to be followed 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | by a teacher in granting authorizations. 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | (2) As required by the student's individualized education program or section 504 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | (29 U.S.C. § 794) plan. 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | (3) As required to manage a student's health care, in accordance with a 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | documented medical condition. 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | (d) The governing body shall establish the consequences for violations of the wireless 34 |
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| 46 | 47 | | communication policy, which may include confiscation of the wireless communication device 35 |
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| 49 | 54 | | (e) No later than September 1 of the year in which this section becomes effective, every 1 |
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| 50 | 55 | | public school unit shall send to the Department of Public Instruction a copy of the public school 2 |
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| 51 | 56 | | unit's wireless communication policy. The public school unit shall provide the Department of 3 |
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| 52 | 57 | | Public Instruction with a copy of the wireless communication policy anytime it is changed. No 4 |
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| 53 | 58 | | later than October 1 of each year, the Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint 5 |
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| 54 | 59 | | Legislative Education Oversight Committee the number of public school units that are in 6 |
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| 55 | 60 | | compliance with this section and the name of any public school unit which is not in compliance 7 |
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| 56 | 61 | | with this section." 8 |
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| 57 | 62 | | SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 9 |
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| 58 | 63 | | the 2025-2026 school year. 10 |
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