Sponsors (3)
The bill trades broader, clearer device restrictions and federal support in DoDEA schools—aimed at reducing classroom distractions and improving oversight—for modest federal costs, added administrative burden, and some loss of informal device access and family convenience, with risks of inconsistent application under Director discretion.
Students and teachers in DoDEA schools will face fewer in-class distractions because personal devices are restricted and/or securely stored during the school day, supporting more focused instruction and potentially improving learning outcomes.
Teachers, administrators, and DoDEA schools gain a clearer, consistent policy framework plus federal support and flexibility (including funding) to implement device-storage and enforcement practices, making it easier to manage classroom behavior without immediate local budget cuts.
Students with medical needs, disabilities, or who are English learners keep access to necessary devices through explicit exceptions and aligned federal definitions, protecting accommodations and learning supports.
Parents and students may lose the ability for non-emergency immediate communication during school hours because personal device access will be restricted, which can inconvenience families and reduce informal contact.
Granting the Director discretion to add device types and the potential for varied local implementation could lead to inconsistent or expansive bans that reduce students' access to helpful devices and create unequal rules across schools.
Implementation, procurement, storage logistics, exception management, and recurring reporting will create administrative burden and staff time demands for DoDEA and school administrators, possibly diverting resources from direct program delivery.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Requires DoDEA to ban student use of personal cell phones and similar devices during regular school hours (with specified exceptions), funds implementation, and mandates annual reporting.
Introduced June 12, 2025 by Eugene Simon Vindman · Last progress June 12, 2025
Requires the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) to create and enforce a policy that bans students from using personal cell phones and similar electronic devices during regular school hours in DoDEA-operated schools, while listing specific exceptions (emergencies, medical needs, disability accommodations, English-learner needs, and other Director-approved cases). The Director may provide implementation support (including purchasing lockboxes) and is authorized $1,207,500 for fiscal year 2026; DoDEA must report annually on implementation, costs, and effects on student outcomes and wellbeing for five years after the policy first takes effect.