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Committee rejects statewide ‘bell‑to‑bell’ school cell‑phone ban
Summary
The House Education Committee voted narrowly to send Senate Bill 198 to the 40th legislative day, effectively halting a proposal that would have required school districts to ban student cell‑phone use for the entire school day.
The House Education Committee on Jan. 26 voted 8–7 to send Senate Bill 198 — a proposed statewide “bell‑to‑bell” ban on student cell‑phone use — to the 40th legislative day, a procedural move that removed it from immediate consideration.
Representative Taylor Rayfelt, the bill’s House sponsor, told the committee she brought the measure as “a mom and a nurse” and said research shows constant access to smartphones undermines classroom focus and student mental health. “When teachers are policing phones, they’re not teaching reading,” Rayfelt said, urging a uniform state standard…
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