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‘Focus Act’ (HB166) advances on House floor; bill would restrict student smartphone use in schools with limited exemptions
Summary
Representative Halsey introduced HB166, the Focus Act, to require local boards to limit student smartphone use during instructional time and to require State education authorities to adopt related internet-safety policies and a pre-eighth-grade social-media safety course.
Representative Halsey introduced House Bill 166, the "Focus Act," which would require local boards of education to adopt rules regulating the use and possession of personal cell phones during instructional time and direct the Alabama State Department of Education to implement an Internet safety policy. The bill also would mandate a social-media safety course before eighth grade.
Sponsor’s case: Halsey told members the measure "takes a crucial step in protecting students by requiring local school boards to adopt a policy regulating the use and possession of cell phones during instructional time." She said research links smartphone use to lower academic performance and increased anxiety. The transcript records committee testimony from Department of Mental Health commissioner Boswell in a prior meeting (as recounted by Halsey), saying the change could improve youth mental health.
Exemptions and mechanics: Members asked how the bill would operate in emergencies and for students with medical needs. Halsey explained three carve-outs: the bill permits use, operation or possession during (1) emergencies threatening the life or safety of a student or another person, (2) instructional use when approved and supervised by the school, and (3) accommodations in an individualized education plan (IEP) or 504 plan. "This is an allowable exemption... the use occurs in an emergency threatening the life or safety of a student or another person," Halsey said in direct response to members’ concerns about contacting caregivers.
Other clarifications: The bill does not ban students from bringing phones onto campus; it requires phones to be turned off and stored off the student’s body (locker, backpack, designated pouch) during instructional time. District-owned devices (Chromebooks, school iPads) would remain exempt and usable for educational purposes. Halsey pointed to a pilot program in Montgomery in which grade outcomes rose and discipline referrals fell about 80 percent after implementing a storage-based policy.
Procedure and next steps: Representative Halsey said she had a substitute and moved the bill on the floor; the item was set for further consideration as a bill with a sub and will appear on the calendar the following day for additional action.
Why it matters: The proposal aims to reduce classroom distractions and harms associated with unsupervised smartphone use, while preserving emergency access and support for medically necessary uses. Members asked for clarity on parental contact and the scope of allowed educational use during the floor exchange recorded in the transcript.
