Bill > H696

This bill establishes a comprehensive commission to study and make recommendations about students' phone use in schools, focusing on their impact on educational outcomes and mental health. The commission will be composed of 15 members, including legislative leaders, education officials, and representatives from various educational and child development organizations, such as the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital. The commission's mandate includes investigating the effects of student phone use in schools, reviewing current district policies, and developing recommendations on key issues like phone restrictions during school hours, storage policies, and the appropriate level of policy implementation (state-wide, district-level, etc.). Specifically, the commission will explore options such as complete phone prohibitions during school hours, appropriate phone storage methods, potential implementation strategies, supplementary technologies for policy enforcement, and potential funding sources. The commission is required to submit a comprehensive report with its findings and recommendations to the Joint Committee on Education and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by January 1, 2026, providing a detailed analysis to help guide future policy decisions regarding student phone use in educational settings.

Education

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H696