Committee advances bill to restrict student smartphone use during instructional day

The House Education Policy Committee on Thursday advanced House Bill 166, which would prohibit students from using, operating or possessing personal wireless communication devices during the instructional day unless an exemption applies and would require local boards of education to adopt district Internet-safety and wireless-device policies.

Representative Chris Hulsey, the bill sponsor, told the committee HB166 is intended to “free our classrooms of unnecessary electronic communication devices by prohibiting a student from using, operating, or possessing a wireless communication device during the instructional day.” He said the measure also would require instruction for students on risks and safe use of social media prior to eighth grade and that it is intended to reduce distractions and support social development.

The bill includes three cited exemptions: use of district-owned devices for supervised instructional purposes; activation during an emergency “threatening the life or safety of a student or another person;” and use by students with an IEP, 504 plan or individualized health plan. HB166 sets a July 1, 2025 deadline for local boards to adopt a wireless-communication-device policy and directs the State Department of Education to develop an annual survey to assess participation and compliance. The sponsor said the bill’s enforcement includes a staged approach such that persistent failure to meet minimum standards of uniform compliance could lead to a deduction of part of a school’s common-purchase allocation.

Commissioner Kimberly Boswell of the Alabama Department of Mental Health testified in support, saying research shows frequent social media use is linked to worse youth mental-health outcomes. “Adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression,” Boswell told the committee, and she cited increases in emergency-room visits for self-harm among youths.

Adrianna Harrington, managing director at Accel and Ed, gave implementation data to the committee. “It takes 23 minutes and 41 seconds on average to regain focus to the level that you were at for any notification text buzz that occurs for a student,” Harrington said, adding that half of students receive about 240 notifications per day.

Committee members asked about classroom technology, emergency communications and penalties. Hulsey repeatedly clarified that the bill exempts district-owned instructional devices such as school-provided tablets and smart boards and that a phone may be stored on campus (for example, in a locker) but not kept on a student’s person or powered on. She also pointed to the emergency exemption and to the local-board authority to set specific consequences for violations. Hulsey described the compliance timeline as including a “year of grace” after the initial survey so districts can adjust before potential funding consequences take effect.

Representative Chris Baker moved to adopt the substitute language and later moved that the bill be given a favorable report as substituted; the committee approved both motions by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Supporters and several members described pilot programs in parts of the state that they said produced higher achievement and fewer discipline problems after initial implementation, while members also emphasized local control over specific enforcement methods (for example, pouches or lockers) and penalties.

HB166 will advance with a favorable committee recommendation as substituted; the bill’s text, the required district policies and the State Department of Education’s forthcoming survey will govern how and when local systems implement the device restrictions.