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Senate adopts school-safety measure requiring incident reporting and limiting student cell phone use; sunset added
Summary
The Missouri Senate adopted a substitute for Senate Bill 68 that requires schools to report safety incidents to the state education department and permits school districts to enforce "bell-to-bell" restrictions on student personal electronic devices. Senators added a sunset amendment to revisit the cellphone policy in 2032.
The Missouri Senate on the floor adopted a substitute for Senate Bill 68 that requires school districts to report certain safety incidents to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and sets statewide expectations for policies governing student use of personal electronic devices during the school day.
Under the adopted language, DESE will maintain a database of reported school-safety incidents and credible threats. Records that do not include personally identifiable student information will be public; individual student-identifying information will remain closed. Lawmakers said the reporting aims to give parents and state officials better visibility into which buildings or districts face repeated safety issues and to help target resources where needed.
The substitute also directs school districts to adopt written policies restricting students’ use of personal electronic devices “bell to bell” — from the start to the end of the school day — while preserving a series of exceptions. The measure permits devices for emergency situations, instructional uses directed by staff, required medical accommodations such as IEP or Section 504 plans, and other district-defined emergencies. The sponsor cited research and teacher reports saying classroom phone use can cost roughly an hour and a half of instructional time daily and contributes to cheating, cyberbullying and mental-health concerns.
During floor debate senators emphasized local flexibility and safeguards. One senator representing school districts said local boards often face pushback from parents and welcome clearer statewide direction. Another senator asked for a review provision; the Senate adopted an amendment to add a sunset date for the cellphone-policy portion of the statute, sending it to expire on Aug. 28, 2032, so the Legislature can reassess the law as technology and classroom practices evolve.
The Senate perfected the substitute and ordered it printed for the next steps in the legislative process.
