SB 928, the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, requires each county board of education to adopt and implement a policy limiting or prohibiting student use of electronic communication devices during the academic school day by the 2027-2028 school year. The bill defines the school day broadly to include instructional time, lunch, recess, passing periods, and transitions, and it covers devices such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, wireless earbuds, and geolocation devices, while excluding devices provided by a school for instructional use. The policy must generally require students to store devices during the school day and prohibit access to social media platforms during that time.
The bill includes several exceptions. Students may use devices when required by an IEP or 504 plan, to address a documented health issue, during an emergency if authorized, when directed by an administrator for educational purposes, to access translation tools when school-issued devices are unavailable or insufficient, or for caregiving responsibilities approved by a principal. County boards must involve parents, students, educators, and community stakeholders in developing and revising the policy, and must publish the policy in multiple languages in student handbooks, on websites, and at school events.
SB 928 also requires each county board to establish tiered disciplinary measures for violations, but prohibits suspension or expulsion solely for violating the device policy. The bill directs county boards to report annually for several years on implementation, including policy details, stakeholder engagement, disciplinary referrals, restorative practices, school climate impacts, exemptions, and anticipated revisions. The Maryland State Department of Education must compile and publish statewide summaries, publish local policies online, and adopt regulations to implement the law.
The bill’s impact is to create a statewide framework that standardizes local school system restrictions on student phone and device use during the school day, while leaving counties discretion over specific storage, enforcement, and grade-level distinctions. It also adds new reporting and transparency obligations for county boards and the state department, and may affect student discipline practices, school operations, and accommodations for students with disabilities, health needs, multilingual needs, and caregiving responsibilities.
Overall sentiment appears strongly supportive. The bill passed the Senate 40-0, indicating broad bipartisan agreement, and the committee report was favorable with amendments. No committee transcript was provided, so no specific debate is available, but the structure of the bill suggests the main policy balance was between restricting distractions in school and preserving exceptions for equity, accessibility, emergencies, and educational use.
SB 928 adds a new section to the Education Article requiring county boards of education to create and implement student electronic communication device policies. It changes state law by mandating school-day restrictions on student device use, requiring device storage, limiting social media access, setting minimum exceptions, and prohibiting suspension or expulsion solely for a violation. It also imposes reporting duties on county boards and the Maryland State Department of Education and authorizes the department to adopt implementing regulations.
The bill appears to have received very favorable treatment. The committee report was favorable with amendments, and the Senate passed the bill unanimously, 40-0, on third reading. That vote suggests broad support for the general concept of phone-free schools, with amendments likely used to refine exceptions, implementation details, and reporting requirements.
No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to identify specific objections. Based on the text, the most likely areas of contention are the breadth of the device ban, how strictly schools may enforce storage and social media restrictions, and whether the policy could affect student access to devices for disability accommodations, health monitoring, translation, caregiving, or emergency communication. The bill addresses those concerns by creating explicit exceptions and limiting discipline to tiered measures short of suspension or expulsion for the policy violation alone.