SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On Monday, Jan. 27, long-anticipated legislation to ban cell phones in Utah’s public schools was released.
Senate Bill 178, titled “Devices in Public Schools,” will create a statewide cell phone ban but require school districts to create policies for exceptions like responding to “an imminent threat” or “school-wide emergency.”
Other exceptions would include students using the SafeUT Crisis Line, for a student’s individualized education or accommodation plan, and to address a “medical necessity.”
Senator Lincoln Fillmore (R – Salt Lake) has joined together with a push from The Policy Project and unveiled their plans earlier this summer — but the specific language being run through the legislature has now been unveiled.
The bill prohibits cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, and other “emerging technology” from being used “during classroom hours” — which would include the time students are receiving teacher-led instruction including virtually.
The bill would allow students to use phones during lunch, recess, study halls, after-school activities, and between classes. Cell phones as part of the approved curriculum would also be allowed.
“With the rise of social media and smartphone use, we’ve seen a significant impact on both the mental health of our students and the quality of their classroom experiences,” Sen. Fillmore said earlier this year. “The goal of this legislation is to empower school districts, teachers and students to create a more focused and productive learning environment. Through this effort, teachers can focus more on teaching and less on being the cellphone police.”
The groups aim to flip the current Utah cell phone policy upside down — right now Utah allows for phones in school with districts all creating individualized policies for phone bans. This bill creates a ban with districts required to create policies for when they can be used.
“Smartphones have become a major distraction in Utah schools—disrupting classroom environments, decreasing academic performance, and contributing to bullying and social isolation,” Emily Bell McCormick, President of The Policy Project said. “Parents and families need support, students need guidance and teachers need assistance responding to this growing epidemic. We must take collective action to reset the norm around smartphones in schools.”
An earlier version of the bill asked for funding so districts could buy some type of lock box or locking pouches for kids to place cell phones during the day.
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