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Senate amends school cell-phone policy language in H.480; committee hears added consultation and exceptions
Summary
Senate amendments to H.480 adjust the model cell-phone policy and add consultation requirements and exceptions, including consultation with Vermont Independent School Association and accommodations for international students and McKinney-Vento compliance.
The House Education Committee reviewed Senate amendments to H.480 that modify the cell-phone policy provisions the House had previously drafted.
The Senate removed the bill’s findings and embedded the House’s intent language into statute. The amendment requires the secretary of education, when developing the model policy, to consult not only with the Vermont School Boards Association but also with the Vermont Independent School Association and a representative of the Vermont Coalition for Phone and Social Media for Schools.
The amendment also expands certain exceptions to the model policy. It retains exceptions for individualized health-care plans, individualized education programs and 504 plans, and adds an exception to accommodate international students where device use is required for a special education accommodation if the student does not have an IEP or 504 plan; the need must be documented as the school deems appropriate. The Senate also broadened an exception for administrator-approved use beyond academic purposes to include school-sponsored athletic or co-curricular activities and clarified permitted use to comply with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
The committee was told schools must adopt policies for the 2026–27 school year. The Senate did not change the implementation timeline the House had included. Committee members were advised that the Senate language is new to the House body and should be presented accordingly if it reaches the floor.
