House Education hears safety experts on H.504, emergency use of student cell phones

The Vermont House Committee on Education on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, heard testimony about H.504, legislation addressing cell phone use in schools and concerns about emergency communications.

The committee heard from Sunny Erickson, school safety program manager for Vermont Emergency Management and the Vermont School Safety Center, who urged that districts adopt policies but retain flexibility to reflect local conditions. "I think everyone is in agreement that having a policy in place that establishes guidelines for use of cell phones during school hours or events is a good idea," Erickson told the committee.

Erickson described trade-offs officials weigh in emergencies. She said students using phones can "lose their sort of situational awareness to follow direction" and that widespread phone use can "jam up telecom networks that can impede emergency responders." She also described the risk of parental "flocking," where parents driving to a school during a crisis can create traffic that hinders first responders and expose parents to danger.

At the same time, Erickson acknowledged potential benefits. She said phones can let students "call or text their parents to let them know they are safe" and can be used to "provide additional information as events unfold," including correcting rumors that spread quickly on social media.

When Representative Long asked for examples showing why district policies might differ, Erickson cited variations in school size, rural versus urban settings and the frequency of local threats or security incidents. "Some of them might confine [phone] use during certain sections of the day, but might utilize the phones for instructional activities," she said, recommending a baseline statewide policy that allows local exemptions.

Erickson told the committee the Vermont School Safety Center, a collaboration between the Department of Public Safety and the Agency of Education, had provided a written document with links to AOE resources and federal guidance. She also said "the 8 states that have already enacted legislation" offer models for managing cell-phone use, and that the center can supply additional resources on request.

The committee did not take formal action during the hearing; members asked questions and heard testimony to inform further consideration of H.504.

A document submitted to the committee and referenced in testimony includes AOE resources developed with the Vermont School Safety Center and a federal guidance document for educators.