Bill would require public schools to adopt written cell-phone policies; committee debates enforcement and scope

Tricia Malillo, Senate majority caucus director, presented Senate Bill 206 on behalf of Senator Ricciardi, saying the measure "is a proactive step towards improving educational outcomes and student well-being by requiring public schools to adopt clear policies limiting cell phone use during the school day." The bill, as amended, substitutes a definition of permitted use for an outright prohibition and adds an enforcement sentence and edits to referenced parties in the draft, the presenter said.

Why it matters: Testimony cited research tying excessive smartphone use in schools to distraction, lower academic performance, social anxiety and cyberbullying. The measure would require districts to adopt a locally tailored policy while allowing exceptions for medical, disability, and language-support needs.

Committee concerns and clarifications: Representatives asked whether districts would have flexibility not to adopt a policy, whether charter schools would be included, whether policies should be updated annually, and what the bill's enforcement language would mean in practice. Malillo said the bill "says shall develop and adopt a policy" and that districts would have flexibility about the policy content and implementation; she said she would collect and report back answers to specific drafting questions.

Representative Woodcock raised whether enforcement language in the bill would intrude on teacher discipline and questioned whether the policy would require administrative enforcement rather than leaving enforcement to classroom teachers. Malillo and later Becky Wilson of the New Hampshire School Boards Association said the intent was not to create teacher-discipline provisions but to ensure administrators share responsibility for enforcement when classroom-level measures are insufficient.

Becky Wilson, testifying for the New Hampshire School Boards Association, said, "We do do do sign in support of this bill." Wilson told the committee that many districts, particularly those with middle and high schools, already have device policies while smaller K'—9 districts may not; she cautioned that requiring every policy to be updated annually may be a heavy lift for many districts and suggested districts typically update policies on a rotation.

Other points raised: Committee members pressed whether the bill would cover charter schools and whether it should extend to other electronic communication devices beyond cell phones; Malillo said she would obtain answers and submit them to the committee. Several members noted that local sample policies exist and that the bill could standardize minimum requirements while preserving local flexibility.

The hearing closed after committee questions; no formal committee action or vote was recorded in the transcript.