Sponsor urges lockable pouches to limit student phone use; school boards warn bill is overbroad

Senate Education Committee members held a hearing on Senate Bill 2300, which would require secure, student‑retained containers for personal electronic devices during the school day and include a state appropriation to purchase the containers for students.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mike Wabamaw (R‑District 24), told the committee he has heard success stories from schools that restricted in‑school phone use and that research presented at conferences linked heavy social‑media use to increased teen anxiety and depression. Wabamaw said the measure is intended to reduce distractions and help students’ mental health and classroom engagement. Quoting U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, he said, “we are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis,” and added that social media is an “important driver” of that crisis.

Under the plan described by the sponsor, each participating student would receive a lockable pouch to keep possession of their device during the school day. The sponsor said one vendor (Yonder) offers a neoprene bag with a magnetic seal that is unlocked…