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House Education and Workforce Committee adopts H‑2 substitute updating school wireless-device rules
Summary
The House Education and Workforce Committee adopted an H‑2 substitute for "House Bill 41 41" that bases a school’s wireless-device policy on the school’s highest grade level, extends middle-school standards to elementary students, and clarifies that a “basic telephone” is excluded from the definition of wireless communication device.
The House Education and Workforce Committee adopted an H‑2 substitute for House Bill 41 41 that revises schools’ wireless-communication device policy, the committee recorded.
The substitute bases a school’s device policy on the school’s highest grade level, applies middle-school standards to elementary students, and carves out several exemptions, including medically necessary devices, district-owned or district-designated instructional devices, lesson-specific devices, and devices used for special education programming or 504 plans. The committee also clarified that a “basic telephone” is not a wireless communication device, defining it as “a device primarily used for voice calling that cannot install third‑party applications except those preinstalled and does not support access to Internet platforms via applications or web browsers,” language read during the committee session.
The substitute was introduced and read into the record before roll-call votes. Committee staff recorded neutral testimony cards from Olivia Ponte of the Michigan Department of Education and Kyle Zawarski of the ACLU of Michigan; neither speaker requested to speak during the meeting. Vice Chair Representative Linting moved to adopt the H‑2 substitute; the committee voted 10 yeas, 0 nays, 0 pass on that motion and the motion prevailed. The committee then voted to report House Bill 41 41 as Substitute H‑2 with recommendation; that roll call returned 7 ayes, 1 nay and 2 passes, and the motion prevailed.
The changes in the substitute affect how schools classify students for device-policy purposes (using the highest grade level served) and clarify specific device exemptions and the narrow definition of a basic telephone. There was no lengthy floor debate recorded on the substitute; the committee read the card submissions and completed two roll calls, one to adopt the substitute and one to report the bill with recommendation.
The committee adjourned after excusing absent members. The committee’s records show the bill was reported out of the House Education and Workforce Committee as Substitute H‑2 with recommendation for further legislative consideration.
