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Senate approves Bell-to-Bell No Cell Act, bars student personal device use during school day
Summary
The Arkansas Senate approved Senate Bill 142, the “Bell-to-Bell No Cell Act,” sending to the House a law that prohibits student possession/use of personal electronic devices during the school day while preserving local control and limited exceptions.
The Arkansas Senate on a 28-1-1-4 vote approved Senate Bill 142, the Bell-to-Bell No Cell Act, which restricts student possession and use of personal electronic devices from the start of the school day to its end. Sponsor Senator Deese presented the bill and the chamber transmitted it to the House after the roll call.
Senator Deese said the bill “prohibit[s] possession or restrict possession of cell phone use for our students” while giving each local school district authority to decide how to implement the policy, including whether to use pouches, lockers or cubbies and how to set disciplinary responses. “It gives each school district the local control to outline their policy around the implementation of this,” he said.
The bill’s nut graf: supporters said the law aims to reduce classroom distraction and curb social-media-driven harm to adolescents’ mental health while preserving district-level flexibility. Deese cited results from a voluntary pilot program the governor launched last year in which “76 of our school districts” initially took part, later described in debate as “over 80” districts, and said the program yielded improved attendance, reduced missed assignments and fewer disciplinary incidents.
In floor debate, senators raised questions about scope, exceptions and cost. Senator Tucker asked whether the bill applies to private schools (it does not); Deese replied the bill targets public schools as the state’s constitutional charge. Senator Hill asked whether teachers would be subject to the same limits; Deese said the bill provides local control and that teachers are adults whose needs differ from children. Senator King queried who would pay for storage solutions; Deese and other senators said districts would budget locally and that the bill does not create a new general-revenue mandate. During debate a senator referenced a state allocation of $2,800,000 to cover initial costs for devices or equipment in some districts.
The bill includes specified exceptions. Senator Hammer noted the text contains emergency exceptions (for tornadoes, active-shooter events, medical needs) and a process for a district to request a policy exemption from the State Board of Education. Deese said the exceptions are intentional to accommodate medical needs and emergency communications.
Opponents and cautious supporters urged care on private-school treatment and funding. Senator Hickey said he supported the goal but objected to the bill’s structure, urging parity for private schools that accept state-funded scholarships. Others said many private schools already use similar policies while some districts asked for a uniform standard to avoid inconsistent enforcement between schools.
After final remarks from Deese — "This is not an anti-tech bill" — the roll call produced 28 yeas, 1 nay, 1 not voting and 4 present. The Senate passed SB 142 and sent it to the House.
