Senate passes bill restricting student cell phone use in class

On Tuesday, the Senate passed, with bipartisan support, “Student Use of Wireless Communication Services,” a bill that would effectively ban cell phone use during class time. The bill is sponsored by state Sens. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, Lisa Barnes, R-Nash, and Jim Burgin, R-Harnett. 

SB 55 passed 41-1 in the Senate. There were seven excused absences, 5 Democrats and 2 Republicans, and one senator, Terrence Everitt, D-Wake, who did not vote. Sen. Ralph Hise, R- Mitchell, was the only senator to vote in opposition. 

“The governing body of a public school unit shall establish a wireless communication policy,” reads the bill. “At a minimum (…) the policy shall prohibit students from using, displaying or having a wireless communication device turned on during instructional time.”  

There are certain reasonable exceptions laid out in the bill, such as to manage a student’s health as required by medical documentation.

The bill addresses the prevalence of a phone-based childhood, a trend that began with the introduction of smartphones and the subsequent rise in anxiety and depression among youth observed in the early 2010s, according to Chaudhuri. Lee and Chaudhuri have actively worked to investigate this issue further. Last year, they introduced a bill to study various cell phone policies in schools and heard from mental health experts and policy analysts on the subject at a conference hosted by North Carolina State University (NC State). 

“This legislation isn’t a Democrat or Republican, urban or rural issue,” Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, said on the Senate Floor. “This issue is about moving our children away from social media and more towards focused learning, and certainly, as the debate reflects today, this legislation isn’t perfect, but my hope is, as the legislation improves, as we move this to the house, I believe this bill is a good start, and it’s a good start in moving our children away from a phone-based childhood.” 

In December, Burgin and Chaudhuri spoke at the State Board of Education meeting, where they heard from the superintendents of Granville County and Brunswick County. Both superintendents have implemented cell phone restriction policies, which have significantly reduced bullying, decreased student distractions, and improved overall student behavior.

“It takes a little while to wean them off, referring to students, but after they do, our studies show that our students actually appreciate it, and that’s also why almost three out of four teachers support similar policies,” said the Brunswick County superintendent. 

HB 87 is the companion bill sponsored by Rep. Neal Jackson, R-Moore. SB 55 was initially introduced in early February. After passing in the Senate, SB 55 was sent to the House, where it was referred to the rules committee.

Sen. Hise did not respond to the Carolina Journal’s request for comment.

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