Gov. Armstrong signs bill banning public school student cellphone use in North Dakota

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong went to a Bismarck elementary school Friday to sign a bill banning public school student cellphone use from “bell to bell.”

“This is a game changer for our public schools, giving students the freedom to focus on learning and to interact with teachers and friends without the constant tug of their cell phones and addictive social media,” Armstrong said in a statement.

House Bill 1160 would require public school districts to have policies requiring student cellphones be silenced and locked away during the entire school day on school grounds. The devices, including bluetooth-enabled devices, tablets, smartwatches or other wearable devices and gaming devices, must be stored in a lockable pouch, phone locker or other inaccessible locations.

The law allows students to use their phones while privately traveling to an off-site educational location, such as a career and technology center. It also allows school districts to craft their own cellphone-use policy during school-related noninstructional time, such as bus rides, field trips, sporting events and school dances.

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Students with medical needs that require an electronic monitoring device and students participating in individual education programs may be exempted from the law.

School districts will also be required to collect data and compile a report on the impact of its cellphone policies on student behavior, mental health, disciplinary incidents, school attendance and academic performance during the interim.

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said teachers have told her that student mental health challenges have become more “overwhelming.”

“This law gives students the gift of attention, connection, and presence. We are removing the constant pull of comparison and distraction and replacing it with space to learn and grow,” Baesler said in a statement.

The new law will go into effect Aug. 1.

Lawmakers also are considering Senate Bill 2354, which would also restrict student cellphone use in private schools. The bill is being debated in a conference committee between the House and Senate. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Monday morning.