Latest news with #HB166
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Can AL parents face jail time under the FOCUS Act if kids break cellphone ban? What to know
Starting this school year, Alabama students in public K-12 schools won't be allowed to use cellphones or other wireless devices during the instructional day under a new law passed in May. The FOCUS Act, or HB166, aims to reduce classroom distractions by requiring students to turn off their devices and store them in lockers, cars, or school-issued pouches. Districts across the state are now rolling out discipline policies, and in at least one case, parents could be held legally responsible if their children don't comply. Here's what to know. Gadsden City Schools, following guidelines, has banned more than just cell phones. Under new guidelines, students are prohibited from using smartwatches, tablets, AirPods, gaming devices, or any other device that can send voice or text messages during school hours. That includes before and after school, lunch and PE unless they receive special permission. The consequences ramp up quickly. For a first offense, the device is confiscated, and the parents are notified. By the second and third offense, students face in-school and out-of-school suspension. But on the fourth offense, it's not just the student who faces punishment. The school board says parents or guardians will be referred to the District Attorney's Office. In Montgomery, students are already required to lock away their phones each morning. The city's school board has an approved contract with Yondr, a company that provides magnetic pouches to store phones during the day securely. Under the policy, students will place their devices in a pouch that locks until the end of the day. Anyone who doesn't comply could face disciplinary action, according to the Montgomery Public Schools' current code of conduct. As of June 2025, MPS was seeking information to verify that using Yonder aligns with the new law. Tuscaloosa schools are also rolling out Yondr pouches. To unlock them, students will swipe the pouch against special magnets at designated areas, like main exits. Students who attempt to use devices during the day risk having them confiscated, losing privileges or facing other penalties, school officials said. The FOCUS Act does make exceptions for specific emergencies. Students with health conditions requiring phone use or personalized education plans, such as an IEP, are allowed to use their devices in class when necessary. The FOCUS Act goes beyond limiting cellphone use. It also addresses online safety. The law requires local school boards to adopt internet safety policies for school-issued devices. It directs the Alabama State Department of Education to provide safe social media training for all students before they enter eighth grade. Supporters say these measures will help protect children and teens, keep them focused in class, improve academic performance and build stronger classroom communities. The FOCUS Act leaves it up to the schools to decide how devices will be stored during the school day, but as of now, most schools ask that they be turned off and stored in a backpack or off the person. Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Can Alabama parents get face jail time under new school cellphone ban?
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama lawmakers send school cellphone ban to Gov. Kay Ivey
A woman scrolling on a smartphone. The Alabama Legislature Wednesday gave final approval to a bill sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, that would require school boards to adopt policies restricting cellphone use by students during classroom instruction hours. (Getty) The Alabama Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a ban cellphones during school hours in public schools. HB 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, would require local school boards to adopt a policy for students to store cellphones during class hours. The bill passed on a 30-2 vote and goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. Much of the discussion on the Senate floor centered around an amendment proposed by Sen. Chris Elliot, R-Josephine, that would have allowed students to use their phones to contact their parents or legal guardians. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Elliott said that while he 'support[s] what he's trying to do,' constituents told him they were concerned about not being able to reach their children during school hours. The chamber voted the amendment down on a 9-23 vote. 'You're going to hear from parents back home if this passes,' Elliot said to the body. Students can access their phones under three exceptions: if they study under an Individualized Education Plan that allows it, for teacher-approved instruction and for medical purposes. Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, who sponsored a similar bill and handled the legislation in the Senate, said that students can use the school's front office to contact their parents. 'In school systems where this has been implemented, it has worked,' Sessions said. Cellphones can be stored in a locker, car or other storage device so long as they are not on the student's person. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say that cellphone distraction is a major issue in their classrooms. At least 11 states ban or restrict cellphone use during school hours, according to KFF, and 17 other states have introduced legislation. Ivey in her 2025 State of the State endorsed legislation to ban cellphones in schools, saying that social media is negatively impacting students. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama public school cellphone ban moves closer to Senate vote
Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, at a Senate Education Policy committee meeting on April 30, 2025, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. The committee approved HB 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, Wednesday that bans cell phones in public schools during instructional time. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama Senate committee approved a House bill Wednesday to ban cellphones in schools. HB 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, requires public school boards to adopt a policy banning cellphone use during instructional time. The Senate Education Policy Committee unanimously approved the legislation at its last meeting of the 2025 Legislative Session. 'This is the companion bill for the Focus Act,' Chesteen said. 'I know you've put about two years into this, so we look forward to getting it on the Senate floor and passing it into law.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Alabama House of Representatives approved the measure on April 4. The legislation also provides three exceptions for students to use their cell phones: if they study under an Individualized Education Plan that allows it; for teacher-approved instruction and for medical purposes. The House Education Policy Committee approved the Senate version of the bill, SB 92, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, on April 16. Both bills await final approval from the second chamber. There are four legislative days left in the 2025 session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee approves Senate version of cell phone ban
Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, listens attentively to the Senate debate on March 18, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama. A House committee Wednesday approved a bill sponsored by Chesteen that would ban cell phones in public schools during instruction hours. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House Education Policy Committee Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that would ban cellphones in public schools during class instruction time. SB 92, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, is identical to HB 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, which passed the House earlier this month. 'It is identical to the way that we passed it out of the House and amended it on the floor recently. So we're making sure that they're tracking identically, and we have been able to successfully do that,' Hulsey, who carried the bill for Chesteen, said Wednesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill requires local school boards to adopt a policy to store student cell phones during class hours. Some schools use Yondr Pouches to store phones, but the legislation does not specify how a phone should be stored. 'They just have to turn the phone off, store it off your person in a locker, car, whatever your storage solution is, it's a similar solution. Whatever they choose,' Hulsey said. There are three exceptions for when a student can access their phones: if they study under an Individualized Education Plan that allows it; for teacher-approved instruction and for medical purposes. The bill was approved with no discussion. It moves to the full House for consideration. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School cellphone ban approved by Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bell-to-bell cellphone ban for students in public schools. HB 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, passed the chamber 79-15. It requires local school boards to adopt a policy to store student cellphones during class hours. Hulsey said during a floor debate on Thursday that the devices could be stored in a device like a Yondr Pouch or a shoe organizer. 'The majority of the schools already participating in this are storing the cellphones in the classroom in various ways,' Hulsey said. Yondr Pouches are an expensive option compared to a $10 plastic over-the-door shoe organizer. Pike Road Junior High School Principal Christy Wright showed the Senate Education Policy Committee how the school implements a ban in February. The $30 Yondr Pouches at Pike Road were purchased with a grant. According to the bill, cell phones can be stored in a locker, car or other storage device so long as the device is not on the student's person. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of U.S. high school teachers say that cellphone distraction is a major issue in their classrooms. Democratic representatives were concerned about how a student would access their phones in an emergency. Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said that with school shootings a constant threat, a child should be able to contact their parents. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 332 school shootings in 2024. There have been 52 in 2025 so far. 'We as a body need to protect our kids since we will not pass a bill to keep guns away from our school children,' Drummond said. Drummond has sponsored bills over the last several years that would effectively require parents to safely store firearms at home. The bills would also have allowed parents to be charged with misdemeanors if a child brought an unsecured weapon to school. But the legislation has not moved. A House committee killed Drummond's latest version of the bill in February. More: Alabama Senate passes bill expanding religious exemptions from vaccines Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, brought up another potential event that could develop at school where a child may need to contact their parents. He said a student could need a change of clothes in the middle of the day. 'It's not a situation where it's life or death, it's not like somebody is coming in for a school shooting,' he said. 'I just think it's overreaching.' According to the bill, a student can have access to their phones under three exceptions: if they study under an Individualized Education Plan that allows it; for teacher-approved instruction and for medical purposes. Hulsey claimed that there is data that shows that cell phone bans cause improved test scores, retained information and students' mental health. Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, said she would like to see that data. 'I've just not seen the preponderance of students playing games while the teacher is trying to teach, the room being disrupted and out of order,' she said. 'I would just like to see that data at some point.' Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kimberly Boswell said in February the mental health of students would improve under the ban. Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, echoed that and supported the legislation on the House floor Thursday. 'It's going to make a difference,' Collins said. The House approved an amendment that removed punishments on schools that do not comply. Hulsey said she wished that was still in the bill but would bring a bill in a few years after seeing compliance. There is a survey required in the legislation to monitor compliance. 'I haven't passed a bill yet that I've loved every single thing about it,' Hulsey said. 'All of it takes compromise to move the needle a little bit.' Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, said that enforcement could be difficult without sanctions. 'We need to put some teeth into this bill,' Warren said. 'If we don't we're going to be in the same position next year as we are this year.' The legislation moves to the Senate. Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, has filed a companion bill in that chamber. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Will Alabama ban students' cellphones in public schools?
