Representative Levi Jonas on Thursday opened a hearing on House Bill 1160, a proposal that would prohibit students from using cellular telephones during instructional time.

Jonas told the House Education Committee the bill is intended to boost student engagement and academic achievement by limiting classroom access to personal cell phones. "The idea of this bill is to put the cell phones off and away for that hour, hour and a half," Jonas said, adding that the proposal is a starting point for districts that do not have a policy.

Several witnesses testified in support. Rachel Lochner, principal of West Fargo High School, described a school policy implemented in fall 2022 that restricts phones “from bell to bell” and said staff have seen fewer behavior incidents and improved classroom focus. "We're 2 and a half years into the policy at West Fargo High, and I think our staff would say it's both necessary and effective," Lochner said. She described typical consequences (in-class warnings, main-office turn-in for a day) and told the committee students and families generally supported the change.

Attorney Chrisann Norby Jonner, legal counsel for the North Dakota School Boards Association, testified in opposition to the bill as originally written and urged stronger language protecting federally required exceptions. She recommended requiring boards to adopt district policies rather than imposing a single statewide rule, and warned against an exhaustive list of exceptions that could conflict with IDEA or Section 504.

Other school leaders raised practical questions the committee discussed: medical exceptions for students who use phones to monitor health concerns, accommodations for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and 504 plans, handling of smartwatches and earbuds, and who within a district should have authority to grant emergency exceptions. Committee members and witnesses agreed an amendment addressing medical necessity, educational accommodations and emergency situations improved the bill text.

Data offered during testimony included a district report passed to the committee by Amy Kopas of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders showing a middle school that used a pouch policy reduced recorded cell-phone violations from 295 in one year to 28 the next, and reported improvements in student engagement and math proficiency. West Fargo and other witnesses described largely anecdotal gains in decreased student conflicts and improved classroom attention after implementing restrictive policies.

Opponents and skeptics — including Steve Madler, principal at Century High School, Dr. Jeff Foshnut (superintendent of the state’s largest district) and Mike Heilman (North Dakota Small Organized Schools) — stressed local control, the range of district capacity across 168 districts, and the need to preserve flexibility for instructional uses of technology and for parents to communicate with children in some circumstances. Chrisann Norby Jonner urged committee work to refine language so the bill would not inadvertently conflict with federal disability law.

Committee members signaled they expect further committee work, including an amendment process at the next scheduled Wednesday afternoon meeting. The hearing record shows no committee vote on HB1160 at the Thursday session; the committee closed the hearing and will consider amendments at a later meeting.