Arkansas lawmakers are nearing final approval of an effort to ban cell phone use in all public schools in the state.
Members of the House Education Committee approved Senate Bill 142, also called the “Bell to Bell, No Cell Act,” in a meeting Thursday. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, said schools which piloted the program have reported positive results.
“Attendance records are improving, disciplinary issues are going down, drug-related offenses are going down, bullying cases are going down, student engagement is going up,” Dees said.
The legislation was first touted by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her January State of the State Address. Sanders has made several appearances with author Jonathan Haidt, whose book “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” makes the case for limiting screen time for children and teens.
Some lawmakers raised concerns about the bill in Thursday’s meeting, including Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, who said it applies to technology beyond cell phones.
“We’re talking about digital cameras and digital video and audio recorders and tablets and notebooks and laptop computers, and I’d like to think that every school district out there has all of these tools to allow our students to use a school-sponsored device, but that’s not always the case. There may not be enough,” Mayberry said.
Dees responded to Mayberry’s concerns, saying the bill isn’t “anti-tech.”
“This really just talks about the personal devices students may bring to school. I encourage our school districts to continue to implement technology appropriately into their classroom when needed… we just want to make sure the students aren’t bringing their individual items into the classroom,” he said.
The bill faces one final vote in the full House of Representatives, which could come as soon as next Monday. If approved, it will then go to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for a signature.
Committee members also rejected a proposal to require gun safety instruction in Arkansas public schools in Thursday’s meeting. House Bill 1117 by Rep. R. Scott Richardson, R-Bentonville, failed on a voice vote.
The bill would have required schools to provide annual instruction on firearm safety, including videos and off-campus live-fire exercises. The details of the instruction would have been finalized by the state Department of Education and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
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