Signed by Governor Dan McKee

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires each public school to have a policy regarding the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities in Rhode Island.

Highlights:

• Requires each public school to have a policy regarding the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities in Rhode Island (Sec. 1)

• Require each public school to have a policy regarding the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities, including a prohibition on physical access during the school day, with exceptions allowed for assistive technology and other special needs specified in a students individual education plan (IEP) or 504 plan, for medical needs such as glucose monitoring or for emergent multilingual learners for language access programs (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that exceptions shall also be made in the event of an emergency (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits schools from searching the contents of any student’s personal electronic device (Sec. 1)..

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect beginning August 1, 2026 (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text