DISCIPLINE POLICIES AND CODES
Present law requires each local board of education and charter school governing body to adopt a discipline policy to apply to the students in each school operated by the LEA or charter school governing body. Such a discipline policy or code of conduct adopted by a local board of education or charter school governing body may authorize a teacher to withhold a student's phone from the student for the duration of the instructional time if the student's phone is a distraction to the class or student. For the 2025-2026 school year, and each school year thereafter, this bill revises the prior provision by, instead, authorizing a teacher to withhold a student's wireless communication device from the student for the duration of the instructional time if the student is noncompliant with the LEA's or public charter school's wireless communication device policy adopted pursuant to this bill.
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE POLICIES
For the 2025-2026 school year, and each school year thereafter, this bill also requires each local board of education and each public charter school governing body to adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy that does all of the following:
Except as provided in this bill, prohibits a student from using a wireless communication device during instructional time
Authorizes a teacher to allow a student to use a wireless communication device for educational purposes during instructional time
Permits a student to use a wireless communication device in the event of an emergency or to manage the student's health
Permits a student to use a wireless communication device during instructional time if the student's use of the wireless communication device is included in the student's individualized education program (IEP) or active 504 plan
This bill requires each LEA and public charter school to publish the wireless communication device policy established pursuant to this bill on its website.
DEFINITION OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE
As used in this bill, a "wireless communication device" means a portable wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between two or more parties, including, but not limited to, cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and gaming devices. However, the term does not include a portable wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between two or more parties, if such capability is restricted by software.
