[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6260462,"mediaKeyId","3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c","parentId",3130899,"title","Committee hears wide-ranging testimony on bill to limit student cell phone use; pilots show academic and discipline gains","audioSeconds",3536,"startMs",2117795,"endMs",5654495,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c&start=2117&end=5654","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c/thumbnail_2117795.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6260462/Michigan/Committee-hears-wide-ranging-testimony-on-bill-to-limit-student-cell-phone-use-pilots-show-academic-and-discipline-gains","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260462-0670db897f3fa77ff41fcc9a4aa2e35e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842995&Signature=X4MD~LWYvRi2QlnfQEKnFMACMIkqPXNkK1-MS8W1OnlRGJpMM7u9ICAteLFOiNPCQ75T1zzzPCXu-CdyMRYDhr3xC5OP1yJ8jr394rb6YyYXzS9d24paBW0U6Af5yoI~BvHrzV8FXNi5Aw~MqdEpDOqtad74~v~QPgLxqDRPXAgo2Xy6c-f20xMXMsCt8PQmTOAPXwVgUMbG13R1kgoGFXITIRBCqo7pKwoLbXeq-vwlyl~~oo8W2YDSXQ0CorsFpUxsLog4KWAlfyr2kaIYXnSEc3FzF8U3yTTQt5QEdbOqYDMpeQAvkPNmjqvQNGKX5QikhvFR4Qk2q9K5FqGWQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Education Committee","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Mark Tisdale presented House Bill 4,141 to the House Education and Workforce Committee, proposing state-level limits on student cell phone use in K-12 schools to reduce classroom distraction and support learning.

Multiple teachers, school leaders and researchers testified in support. Jennifer Wilson, a licensed counselor, described a body of research and her two decades of clinical and classroom experience linking unrestricted smartphone access to reduced attention, disrupted executive function and emotional stress in adolescents. \"The constant digital distractions are stealing time from learning, building skills, connecting with others in real life,\" Wilson said, arguing that state-level policy would give educators a consistent framework and backing for enforcement.

Casey Nocci, a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher who said his school operates a \"no phone zone,\" said student surveys showed striking perceptions: 80 percent of middle-school students said smartphones did not have a negative impact on themselves but 80 percent said their phones negatively impacted their friends. Nocci described cultural pressure that makes classroom-only teacher enforcement difficult and said his private-school policy—students check phones into the office—supports academic outcomes.

Administrators from districts that have already implemented policies described operational approaches and data. Andy Wares, associate principal at Traverse City West High School, described wall cubbies and daily envelopes for noncompliant students; he said the school saw a large drop in visible phone use and fewer unsupervised incidents once the policy was in place. Dr. James Schwartz, superintendent of Avondale Schools, and Principal Katie Gomez described a magnetic pouch system at Avondale Middle School and shared state-test outcome changes after implementation: Avondale reported its index score rose from 50.89 to 73, a growth index from 55 to 76, and a student success index increase from 51 to 81. Gomez told the committee the school saw a two-thirds reduction in fights and a substantial drop in phone-related violations.

Supporters said the policy helps social skills, reduces cyberbullying during the school day and eliminates a recurrent power struggle between teachers and students over phones. Several witnesses noted the policy does not ban technology for instruction; teachers retain discretion to incorporate devices in lessons when appropriate.

Not all witnesses supported a state-mandated, one-size-fits-all approach. Jennifer Smith, director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, told the committee MASB supports school-level phone policies but opposes the bill as drafted because it is \"far too prescriptive\" and may not fit local circumstances. She specifically flagged children who walk or bike to school and rely on devices for safety, the instructional use of phones in some classes, and the absence of explicit exceptions for students covered by 504 plans or individualized education programs. Smith said MASB favors an Ohio-style approach that requires districts to adopt a policy but allows local discretion for details.

Committee members asked about exemptions for medically necessary devices, school-issued devices and smartwatches. Representative Paquette and others pressed witnesses on whether flip phones or smartwatches would be exempt; several district witnesses said their local policies do not exempt smartwatches or flip phones. During questioning, a committee member noted an H-1 substitute had been drafted to clarify some points: it removes specific grade-number references, replaces them with elementary/middle/high school categories, and includes explicit language exempting medically necessary devices and school-issued devices used for instruction.

Association testimony filed for the record was mixed: the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals submitted written support for the bill; the Michigan Association of School Boards filed opposition. The committee did not vote on HB 4,141 in this session. Members said they intended further drafting and that the bill's sponsors were working with intermediate school districts and superintendents to refine language and exemptions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Education and Workforce | Wednesday, April 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Education and Workforce Committee heard extended testimony on House Bill 4,141, which would limit student cell phone use in K-12 schools; supporters cited brain-development research and district-level pilot data, while school boards urged local flexibility and exceptions for medical and instructional needs.","taxTitle","Education, House of Representative, Committees\t\t\t\t\t, Legislative, Michigan","taxId",27386,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6260468,"Rep. Cabot offers bill to let northern Michigan districts extend school year after widespread ice storm",555,1540200,2095475,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c&start=1540&end=2095","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c/thumbnail_1540200.jpg","/articles/6260468/Michigan/Rep-Cabot-offers-bill-to-let-northern-Michigan-districts-extend-school-year-after-widespread-ice-storm","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260468-6823c0b715c361687db3282943ca24b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842995&Signature=IP82Rv1KNo9Za1JmAwJNdJVRK65OLvtDkJKTqhqDoj-h0fsc0FUT7TCrJSLhcLwPc~Gr-IeQxrEAzqkQ7UAs-WUcje6UmNc~TOlCzUKjazNWpXlIVfPdvh6Qdfn8oolQdoXgeikHAxpGwIYVUGAkNZvNrkw3k12FCVHIEBzhRLaniZYsy25vmX27tZzVYJRrCoTT5mS~JTWEkc9VzYrbQx5Sc0LCrGL7-c4Vagceg4SEYVMEJtJM5p~ITJJ~NInW-0ytFXnwwlgsrbK16CjjAM4qM92DeffrQ06RSM~CuKDoa5X25F6u6XUab7b6nY0s~SHb4WFFKYffSlmUIt5nWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Cabot told the House Education and Workforce Committee that House Bill 4,345 would give local school districts affected by an extreme ice storm in northern Michigan flexibility to extend the school year into July without penalty.

Cabot described a multi-county emergency that cut power to roughly 300,000 residents and left some families without electricity for more than 20 days. \"I was personally without power for 8 days,\" Cabot said. \"People were not able to get out of their homes due to the fallen trees on the roads, power lines, radio towers.\" He urged the committee to adopt a narrowly tailored remedy to \"hold those students harmless and hold our districts harmless.\"

Cabot and witnesses described the scale of damage: Great Lakes Energy had historically cited outages of about 60 poles in its worst storm, Cabot said, while this event knocked down about 2,800 poles; Presque Isle Electric and Gas lost substations and had to reengineer distribution for a six-to-eight county area. He also noted localized severity in counties with high child-poverty rates, and that some small districts already face a heavy number of missed instructional days — one superintendent reported \"over 190 inches of snow\" in a district, and another district had been without power for more than 20 days.

Committee members expressed sympathy and asked whether additional or broader relief should be considered for other major emergencies. Cabot said he and his office had relied on local superintendents and the regional intermediate school district for guidance and that the bill was written as an immediate, focused response rather than a more sweeping change.

Several education associations filed support cards that were entered into the record: the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, the Michigan Association of School Boards, the Michigan Association of Superintendents and the Michigan Education Association all submitted support and did not request to speak. The committee did not record a vote on HB 4,345 during the session captured in the transcript.","Representative Cabot testified in favor of House Bill 4,345 to allow local districts affected by a severe Upper Peninsula ice storm to extend the school year into July, citing weeks-long power outages, destroyed utility infrastructure and concentrated impacts in high-poverty counties.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6260471,"House committee adopts statewide baseline training for school safety; three-tier program approved in substitutes",233,328285,561769,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c&start=328&end=561","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3130899-130846d2f241ff62b6e6cd1b3c6f9b2c/thumbnail_328285.jpg","/articles/6260471/Michigan/House-committee-adopts-statewide-baseline-training-for-school-safety-three-tier-program-approved-in-substitutes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260471-9579dbf9a5a59a5877e6a191637c55e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770842995&Signature=SumPGWirctxSEMfE7LNCbW6pOyMzMX8~TZg-wfGTYeqcCxHM930s7mRiEtRy5shWoKttNhbyU6M6aQtwzKmEDJpNksUY~mE7w7JK3cOAcHisqc5fP7Tc34L~EjgmPxUR551Z-NXBc4G3-KpEc7SXsmq54KWGCzfrH4ag7aPzkiVtROzjjE2ZRRhXO9mK115be9-~DO1ILJzXUzf6cNHtRjhgythoqrTXf46fHqYHGkrEnkPVdc8wsS-QHXYAV9db6j9DeDRaE7K8uSWZzFvQQK0lVa-9fomlbyWEykN~Fl9iPVEy00HkIsbyVtKX1bR2e0vi23UAfBGmdcM4JNE3jA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Education and Workforce Committee on a voice and roll-call series of votes moved the session forward on a package of school-safety measures and unanimously adopted H‑1 substitutes that direct the Michigan State Police's Office of School Safety to coordinate multi-tiered training statewide.

The substitutes adopted by the committee require three tiers of training: one for school resource officers, one for school crisis team members, and one for all school personnel who have regular contact with students. Representative Harris, sponsor of House Bill 4,223, said schools would be required to develop and implement a school safety and training plan beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

The committee emphasized the need for a statewide baseline so districts and local law enforcement have common expectations. \"It is imperative to not only have great training for your school districts and your police departments, but that there is some similarity across districts and police departments across the state,\" Harris said, citing experience coordinating responses in Oakland County.

Representative Pablo, sponsor of House Bill 4,315, described the substitute adopted for his bill and the coordination role of state agencies: \"This substitute requires MSP and the Office of School Safety to coordinate with the Michigan Department of Education and the AG to provide 3 tiers of training for school personnel ... for school resource officers, for school crisis team members, and for all the school personnel who have regular contact with students.\" He also said the aim is a single, \"one-stop shop\" housed at MSP so districts and departments do not have to search multiple agency websites for guidance.

Committee members pressed presenters on funding, scope and local flexibility. Representative Boyce asked how the package differs from existing local training and whether the state would require or fund additional training. Harris said the bills set a statewide baseline and leave districts and local departments free to augment the training; the intention is for MSP to take the lead and for the Office of School Safety to host the consolidated resources. \"If you want to get more granular that local school district or the police departments can enhance or go beyond that,\" Harris said.

Support for the bills was noted in submitted testimony. The Michigan Association of School Boards filed a support card for an earlier related bill; principals' and superintendents' associations filed support cards for the H-1 substitutes, recorded by the clerk.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 4,225 (reported with recommendation): reported by committee; roll call recorded 10 yeas, 0 nays. (Chair DeBoer; Rep. Linting; Fox; Coombs; Saint Germain; Pavlov; Wilson; Bozart; Weiss; Burns)
- House Bill 4,229 H-1 (reported with recommendation): reported by committee as substitute H-1; roll call recorded 10 yeas, 0 nays. (Chair DeBoer; Rep. Linting; Paquette; Fox; *****; Saint Germain; Pavlov; Wilson; Bozart; Weiss; Burns)
- House Bill 4,223 H-1 (substitute adopted): roll call recorded 10 yeas, 0 nays. (Chair DeBoer; Rep. Linting; Paquette; Fox; *****; Saint Germain; Pavlov; Wilson; Bozart; Weiss; Burns)
- House Bill 4,315 H-1 (substitute adopted): roll call recorded 10 yeas, 0 nays. (Chair Moore; Rep. Linting; others recorded by the clerk)

Why it matters: Sponsors and witnesses said the bills create uniform expectations so SROs, crisis teams and school staff respond and train in compatible ways across districts. The committee adopted the H-1 substitutes unanimously and sent the measures forward with committee recommendations.

The committee took testimony from sponsors Representative Harris and Representative Pablo and accepted submitted support from education and law-enforcement associations; no funding appropriation was enacted in committee and members asked staff to return with technical tweaks.","The House Education and Workforce Committee voted unanimously to adopt H-1 substitutes establishing a statewide baseline training framework for school resource officers, school crisis teams and school personnel and reported related bills in a 10-0 roll call.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears wide-ranging testimony on bill to limit student cell phone use; pilots show academic and discipline gains

Rep. Cabot offers bill to let northern Michigan districts extend school year after widespread ice storm

House committee adopts statewide baseline training for school safety; three-tier program approved in substitutes