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Committee hears multiple bills to require district phone‑use policies during instructional time; sponsors plan a combined substitute
Summary
Representatives Steinhoff, Greg and Lewis presented bills requiring school districts to adopt policies restricting student cell‑phone use during scheduled instructional activities; sponsors plan a combined house committee substitute and said districts would retain local control and may specify exceptions for IEPs, health needs and curriculum uses.
Committee members heard three complementary bills from Representatives Kathy Steinhoff, Greg (first name not recorded on the transcript) and Chairman Lewis (House Bill 306, House Bill 408 and House Bill 854) to require Missouri school districts to adopt policies that limit or prohibit student cell-phone use during scheduled instructional activities, while allowing local control over the specifics and enumerating exceptions.
Sponsors said the bills focus on removing a major classroom distraction to improve learning outcomes, citing both research and teacher reports of higher homework and test scores and better classroom engagement where phone restrictions have been implemented. Representative Steinhoff described national polling and…
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