119-hr4005

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4005 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4005

To amend title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
 to establish the UNPLUGGED Schools Grant Program, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 12, 2025

 Mr. Vindman (for himself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
 Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
 to establish the UNPLUGGED Schools Grant Program, 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 Schools Grant Act 
of 2025'' or the ``UNPLUGGED Schools Grant Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. UNPLUGGED SCHOOLS GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:

 ``PART G--UNPLUGGED SCHOOLS GRANTS.

``

SEC. 4701. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

 ``The Secretary shall establish a grant program to be known as the 
`Utilize No Phones in Learning to Unleash Growth in Grades and Educate 
Distraction-free Schools Grant Program' or the `UNPLUGGED Schools Grant 
Program' to award grants to State educational agencies to support 
public schools with implementing a personal electronic device policy 
described in 

section 4702

    (a) .

``

SEC. 4702. ELIGIBILITY.

 ``

    (a) Personal Electronic Device Policy Required.--To be eligible 
to receive a grant under this part, a State educational agency shall be 
required to have in effect a policy, designed in coordination with each 
local educational agency served by the State educational agency and in 
consultation with educators, parents, and students, that applies to 
each public school served by each such local educational agency that 
prohibits student possession or use of personal electronic devices in 
public schools during school hours. Such policy may permit exceptions--
 ``

    (1) for students with 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) for students with disabilities or special needs for 
 whom access to a 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) for additional students as determined appropriate by 
 State educational agencies.
 ``

    (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this part shall be 
construed as preempting or otherwise preventing a State, State 
educational agency, local educational agency, or public school from 
enacting or enforcing policies or procedures regarding student 
possession or use of personal electronic devices during school hours, 
on school grounds, or during school activities that is more restrictive 
than a personal electronic device policy described in subsection

    (a) .

``

SEC. 4703. APPLICATION.

 ``To be eligible to receive a grant under this part, 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, including--
 ``

    (1) a certification that the State educational agency has 
 in effect a personal electronic device policy that satisfies 
 the requirements described in 

section 4702

    (a) ; and
 ``

    (2) a certification that the State educational agency 
 permits public schools and local educational agencies served by 
 the State educational agency to develop policies and procedures 
 that enable--
 ``
        (A) parents to notify students through public 
 school personnel about forgotten items, changes in 
 pick-up times, and other common issues; and
 ``
        (B) public school personnel to communicate with 
 parents regarding time-sensitive matters.

``

SEC. 4704. USE OF FUNDS.

 ``A State educational agency that receives a grant under this part 
shall use such grant to acquire secure storage methods for use at 
public schools for safely storing personal electronic devices in 
accordance with a personal electronic device policy described in 

section 4702

    (a) .

``

SEC. 4705. ALLOCATIONS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

 ``

    (a) In General.--From the total amount appropriated under 

section 4707 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each State 
educational agency that has an approved application for a grant under 
this part an amount that bears the same relationship to the remainder 
as the amount that the State of such State educational agency received 
under subpart 2 of part A of title I for the preceding fiscal year 
bears to the amount all States received under that subpart for the 
preceding fiscal year.
 ``

    (b) Small State Minimum.--No State educational agency receiving 
an allotment under this paragraph shall receive less than one-half of 1 
percent of the total amount allotted under this paragraph.
 ``
            (c) Reallotment of Unused Funds.--If a State educational agency 
does not receive an allotment under this part for a fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall reallot the amount of the allotment that such State 
educational agency would have received to the remaining State 
educational agencies in accordance with this part.

``

SEC. 4706. DEFINITIONS.

 ``In this part:
 ``

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

section 602

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

    (14) ).
 ``

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

    (3) Personal electronic device.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Except as provided in 
 subparagraph
        (B) , the term `personal electronic 
 device', when used with respect to a device possessed 
 or used by a student, includes a mobile phone, 
 smartwatch, laptop, tablet, and other handheld or 
 wearable device with communication, internet, or 
 multimedia capabilities.
 ``
        (B) Exception.--The term `personal electronic 
 device' does not include a laptop or tablet that--
 ``
            (i) a student is authorized by the school 
 of the student to use during school hours;
 ``
            (ii) is used by such student only for 
 instructional purposes; and
 ``
            (iii) is restricted from accessing social 
 media platforms, personal email, personal 
 messaging applications, texting services, and 
 other non-academic applications during school 
 hours.
 ``

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

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

    (6) Secure storage methods.--The term `secure storage 
 methods' means storage solutions that are designed to keep 
 personal electronic devices safely and securely stored and to 
 prevent students from accessing such devices during school 
 hours without permission, including--
 ``
        (A) lockable lockers;
 ``
        (B) secure lock boxes;
 ``
            (C) magnetic pouches or other signal-blocking 
 storage devices; and
 ``
            (D) other storage solutions as determined 
 appropriate by the State educational agency.

``

SEC. 4707. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

 ``To carry out this part, there are authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as may be necessary.''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in 

section 2 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to 

section 4644 the following new items:

 ``Part G--UNPLUGGED Schools Grants

``

Sec. 4701. Grant program authorized.
``

Sec. 4702. Eligibility.
``

Sec. 4703. Application.
``

Sec. 4704. Use of funds.
``

Sec. 4705. Allocations to State educational agencies.
``

Sec. 4706. Definitions.
``

Sec. 4707. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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