Committee restores stricter cellphone requirement for public schools, leaves private schools optional

The House Committee on Education on Thursday reopened consideration of House Bill 2421, commonly referred to as a cellphone ban, and adopted an amendment that requires public school districts to adopt a student cellphone policy while allowing private schools to adopt such policies at their discretion.

Representative Brantley moved the amendment to make the policy language a 'shall' for public schools and a 'may' for private schools; Representative Wilson seconded. The vice chair asked for the motion to be restated for clarity and Revisor Long confirmed the change applied in three places in the bill. After debate, the committee approved the amendment by voice vote and subsequently passed the bill out of committee with an amendment favorable for passage.

Supporters, including Representative Goetz, said the change preserves local control while aiming to reach the most students possible and helps move the bill forward out of committee. Opponents raised equity concerns. Representative Featherston argued the issue is a public‑health matter that affects “all children” and opposed the amendment on those grounds. Representative Boatman noted private school funding mechanisms, including tax‑credit programs, can shift resources away from public schools and questioned a different standard for private schools.

The committee recorded requests to have individual positions noted for Representatives Heatherston and Boatman. Later in the session the chair moved to insert the contents of HB 2421 into Senate Bill 281; the committee approved placing the house language into SB 281 and passed the house substitute for SB 281 out of committee.

The committee’s actions reopen debate on the cellphone policy language and advance the revised language toward final floor consideration; members requested further procedural steps and recorded votes where noted.