Public Schools - Maryland Civic Excellence Program - Established
HB0057 requires each county board of education in Maryland to develop and implement a policy limiting student cellular phone use during instructional time. The bill defines instructional time as any time during the school day except lunch and directs local policies to prohibit phone use during that period and require phones to be stored in a secure place such as a locker, closed backpack, or school-provided storage container.
The bill also creates exceptions so that students may use phones when the use is documented in an individualized education program, when needed to monitor or address a documented health issue, or when an educator or administrator directs use for educational purposes. Each policy must also include disciplinary measures for violations, and the act would take effect July 1, 2025.
The bill would add new Section 7-136 to the Education Article, creating a statewide mandate for county boards of education to adopt student cellphone restriction policies during instructional time. It would not itself impose a single uniform disciplinary code, but it would require local boards to establish policies that include enforcement measures and to accommodate special education, health-related, and instructional exceptions. The practical effect is to standardize baseline limits on student phone use across Maryland public schools while leaving implementation details to county boards.
The available context suggests the bill moved forward without recorded opposition in the provided materials, and there are no committee transcripts or vote details showing controversy. The bill’s structure indicates a policy aimed at reducing classroom distractions and improving instructional focus, which is generally consistent with school discipline and classroom management goals. The absence of recorded debate or dissent in the supplied history suggests the measure was not especially contentious in the available record.
The main points of potential contention are the scope of the phone ban during the school day, the requirement that students store phones in a secure location, and how county boards should design disciplinary measures. Exceptions for individualized education programs, documented health needs, and educator-directed educational use may also be important to stakeholders concerned about accessibility, student safety, and classroom flexibility. School systems, parents, special education advocates, and students could differ on how strict the policy should be and how it should be enforced.