Committee approves school‑phone restrictions in SB 68 after rejecting fee proposal

The Ways and Means Committee voted to strip language authorizing use of secured school‑safety grant dollars to purchase cell‑phone storage systems and then debated a companion amendment that would have allowed districts to charge a nominal fee to cover storage costs.

Chair introduced an amendment removing secured grant use for phone‑storage purchases and took that by consent. Representative Delaney proposed a follow‑up amendment permitting districts to impose a modest fee (the sponsor cited $25 as an example) to cover the cost of secure phone bags or storage and to prompt family conversations about whether students should bring phones to school. Delaney framed the fee as "a signal" and said it could help cover equipment and personnel costs; critics said even a modest fee would disproportionately burden lower‑income families and many districts already use lockers or low‑cost storage options.

Committee members discussed implementation costs, large‑district logistics (e.g., electronically locked pouches), and equity concerns; at the roll call on the fee amendment members explained their votes. After vote totals were recorded, the committee moved to pass SB 68 as amended; the chair announced the bill "passes out 21 to 3." The transcript records extended debate on the fee and multiple members requesting roll‑call explanation of their vote.

What happens next: SB 68 advances from committee with the provision removing grant‑funded phone‑storage purchases intact; the fee proposal was rejected in committee. Further technical drafting and district‑level policy choices remain for implementation.

Provenance: based on the chair’s introduction of the amendment removing grant use, Representative Delaney’s proposal for a modest fee, the recorded roll calls and the chair’s announcement of the final tally (transcript segments cited in provenance).