119-hr2700

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2700 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2700

To require State educational agencies to implement policies prohibiting 
 the use or possession of personal mobile phones by students in public 
 school classrooms during school hours, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 7, 2025

 Mr. Vindman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require State educational agencies to implement policies prohibiting 
 the use or possession of personal mobile phones by students in public 
 school classrooms during school hours, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Utilize No Phones in Learning to 
Unleash Growth in Grades and Educate Distraction-free Act of 2025'' or 
the ``UNPLUGGED Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress finds the following:

    (1) Public education is critical to the economic vitality, 
 national security, and democratic governance of the United 
 States.

    (2) Disruptions to the educational process directly affect 
 national productivity, civic engagement, and workforce 
 development.

    (3) The excessive use of mobile phones during school hours 
 significantly impairs the ability of schools to maintain 
 effective educational environments.

    (4) A growing body of peer-reviewed literature has 
 documented the detrimental effects of mobile phone usage in 
 classrooms on attention, academic performance, and mental 
 health.

    (5) Studies published in journals such as Computers in 
 Human Behavior, Educational Psychology, and the Journal of 
 Adolescent Health have shown that the presence of mobile phones 
 in academic settings correlates with reduced focus, lower test 
 scores, increased academic procrastination, and higher levels 
 of anxiety and depression among students.

    (6) Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, in both his 
 academic work and public commentary, has--
        (A) extensively documented the relationship between 
 the rise of smartphone use among adolescents and the 
 decline in mental health indicators;
        (B) produced research pointing to a sharp increase 
 in rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm 
 beginning around 2012-2013, coinciding with widespread 
 smartphone and social media adoption among teenagers; 
 and
            (C) argued that overexposure to digital devices and 
 online platforms undermines the development of 
 resilience, emotional regulation, and in-person social 
 connection.

    (7) Limiting in-school phone access is essential to 
 reversing harmful psychological and academic trends in American 
 youth.

    (8) The presence of mobile phones in educational settings 
 contributes to increased rates of bullying, cyber harassment, 
 academic dishonesty, and classroom distractions, thereby 
 undermining the core mission of public education.

    (9) These issues are not confined to a single state or 
 region and are national in scope, with similar patterns of 
 disruption and diminished student outcomes reported across 
 state lines.

    (10) The cumulative effect of diminished educational 
 achievement has a substantial impact on the national economy 
 and workforce preparedness.

    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that each State 
educational agency, in coordination with each local educational agency 
served by the State educational agency and in consultation with 
educators, parents, and students, should establish and enforce a policy 
that--

    (1) enables parents to notify students through school 
 officials about forgotten items, changes in pick-up times, and 
 other common issues; and

    (2) enables schools to communicate with parents regarding 
 time-sensitive items.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF STUDENT PHONE POSSESSION IN SCHOOLS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than the first school year beginning 
after the date of enactment of this Act, each State educational agency, 
in coordination with each local educational agency served by the State 
educational agency and in consultation with educators, parents, and 
students, shall establish and enforce a policy that prohibits student 
possession or use of personal electronic devices, including personal 
mobile phones, in public schools during school hours.

    (b) Secure Storage Methods.--A personal electronic device policy 
established pursuant to subsection

    (a) may include a requirement that 
public schools use secure storage methods, including--

    (1) lockable lockers;

    (2) secure lock boxes;

    (3) magnetic pouches or other signal-blocking storage 
 devices; or

    (4) other technologies or materials deemed appropriate by 
 the State educational agency.
            (c) Exceptions.--A personal electronic device policy established 
pursuant to subsection

    (a) may permit exceptions for--

    (1) students with medical or health conditions that require 
 the use of a mobile phone or other personal electronic device 
 as part of a treatment or monitoring plan, as certified by a 
 licensed healthcare provider;

    (2) students with disabilities or special needs for whom 
 access to a personal mobile phone or other personal electronic 
 device is--
        (A) documented as necessary in an individualized 
 education program; or
        (B) included as part of services or accommodations 
 provided to the student pursuant to 

section 504 of the 
 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) (commonly 
 referred to as a ``

Section 504 plan'');

    (3) on an individualized basis for students--
        (A) who are English learners;
        (B) who have a demonstrated need for a personal 
 electronic device to facilitate instruction; and
            (C) acquire documentation in support of 
 subparagraph
        (A) and
        (B) in accordance with procedures 
 established by the State educational agency; and

    (4) additional situations as States and local education 
 authorities deem necessary and appropriate.
            (d) Minimum Requirement.--The requirements in this Act shall 
constitute a minimum standard. Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to preempt or prevent a State, State educational agency, or local 
educational agency from enacting more restrictive policies regarding 
student possession or use of mobile phones or other personal electronic 
devices during school hours, on school grounds, or during school 
activities.

    (e) Grant Program Authorized.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of Education shall establish 
 a grant program to provide funding to State educational 
 agencies to purchase, implement, or maintain secure storage 
 methods, and related training or infrastructure, in accordance 
 with a personal electronic device policy established by such 
 State educational agency pursuant to subsection

    (a) .

    (2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
 this subsection, a State educational agency shall submit to the 
 Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and 
 containing such information as the Secretary may require.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

 For purposes of this Act:

    (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``English 
 learner'', ``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', 
 ``State'', and ``State educational agency'' have the meanings 
 given the terms in 

section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

    (2) Individualized education program.--The term 
 ``individualized education program'' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities 
 Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401).

    (3) Mobile phone.--The term ``mobile phone'' means any 
 handheld communication device with cellular, Wi-Fi, or 
 Bluetooth capability, including smartphones and similar 
 devices.

    (4) Personal electronic device.--The term ``personal 
 electronic device''--
        (A) includes mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, 
 and other handheld or wearable devices with 
 communication, internet, or multimedia capabilities; 
 and
        (B) does not include laptops or tablets that are 
 authorized by the school and used solely for 
 instructional purposes under teacher supervision so 
 long as such laptops or tablets are restricted from 
 accessing social media platforms, personal email, 
 messaging or texting services, and other non-academic 
 applications during instructional time.

    (5) Public school.--The term ``public school'' means--
        (A) a public elementary school; and
        (B) a public secondary school.

    (6) School hours.--The term ``school hours'' means the 
 period from the start of the instructional day until the end of 
 the instructional day, as defined by the State educational 
 agency.
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