Press Release 12/5/2024
TRENTON – The Senate Education Committee advanced legislation sponsored by Senator Paul Moriarty, which would require cellphone and social media policy to be developed by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) and adopted in K-12 schools.
The bill, S-3695, would assist school districts in developing policies concerning student use of cellphones and social media platforms during regular school hours, on a school bus, or during school-sanctioned events when the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the Board of Education.
“Unrestricted cellphone use in our schools has become a crisis that disrupts learning and negatively affects the mental health of students,” said Senator Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden/Atlantic). “Cellphone and social media usage have been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression, as well as sleep disruption. It is imperative for the DOE to develop a common-sense approach to help mitigate these issues and allow our kids to focus on learning.”
Under the bill, the policy would:
- Provide age-appropriate and grade-level differentiated policies concerning limiting and prohibiting student use of cellphones and social media platforms
- Prohibit non-academic use of a cellphone or social media during classroom instruction
- Be consistent with State and federal law, including accommodations provided in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or educational plan
- Permit student use of cellphones in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger
- Permit student use of cellphones upon submission by a parent or guardian of documentation from a health care professional indicating that the use of a cellphone is necessary for the health or well-being of the student
- Address smartphones, cellphones with only text or voice, and other relevant devices, including smartwatches
- List options that may be utilized by a school district for cellphone storage, including locked pouches and cellphone lockers
- Provide guidance for a school district to establish network-based restrictions to prevent the use of, or access to, social media platforms
- Detail protocols for communicating the district’s policy concerning student use of cellphones and social media platforms to students, their families, and teaching staff members
The Commissioner would involve stakeholders in developing the policy to ensure that the policies are responsive to the needs of students, parents, and teaching staff members.
Each district Board of Education would be required to adopt a policy that is consistent with the Commissioner’s developed policy. The local Board would be able to submit an application to the commissioner for an exemption.
The legislation would take effect immediately and apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
The bill was advanced in a 5-0 vote.
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