WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

S 2581

Establishes March twenty-fifth as "We Care Remembrance Day"

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rob Ortt and 1 co-sponsor

Massachusetts schools must prohibit student possession and use of personal electronic devices during the school day, with exemptions, enforcement safeguards, and a DESE model polic

REFERRED TO FINANCE
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 2581

Summary — S.2581 (filed 7/31/2025)

Note: the bill package provided contains inconsistent metadata (a short title about a remembrance day and an unrelated federal Sea Grant amendment) but the primary text supplied is a Massachusetts state bill titled “An Act to promote student learning and mental health” that creates statewide requirements and model guidance for prohibiting student use of personal electronic devices in public schools. This summary focuses on that substantive text.

Main purpose

To reduce in-school student use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) by: (1) requiring each Massachusetts public school/district to adopt a policy prohibiting students from possessing or using PEDs during the school day (with limited exemptions); (2) directing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to develop and publish model guidance, enforcement safeguards, and a model policy; and (3) setting implementation timelines and reporting requirements. The stated policy aim is to promote student learning and mental health.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definition: “Personal electronic device” means portable devices capable of voice/text/data or network connection (mobile phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, Bluetooth-enabled devices). Excludes school-issued/sanctioned devices used for legitimate educational purposes.
  • DESE duties:
    • Develop guidance, recommendations, and a model policy to assist schools/districts with prohibiting PED use during the school day and school-sponsored activities.
    • Guidance must address secure storage options, enforcement best practices, prevention of inequitable discipline, and exclusion of expulsion/suspension as discipline for noncompliance.
    • May include case-specific/targeted exemptions when compelling need is shown; must consider reasonable alternatives first.
    • Conduct at least one public hearing and solicit public input before finalizing guidance.
    • Post materials publicly on DESE website and review/update them annually to reflect research and technological changes (including tech that can render a device inoperable on school grounds).
    • Issue recommendations/model policy within 180 days of the act’s effective date (text truncated but this deadline is stated).
  • Local/district requirements:
    • Each public school/district must adopt a policy for prohibition of PED possession/use on school grounds during the school day; policy must:
    • Prohibit use and on-person possession during the school day (including recess, lunch, between classes).
    • Provide at least one method for parents/guardians to contact students during the day (and vice versa), including emergency procedures.
    • Include enforcement provisions that prevent inequitable discipline; discipline may not include suspension or expulsion for noncompliance.
    • Allowed exemptions (by district policy): IEP or Section 504 accommodations, other ADA/Title II accommodations, travel to/from off-site learning programs, written healthcare-provider necessity, or DESE-authorized model-policy exemptions.
    • Policies may vary by developmental level/grade but may not permit general on-person use except as authorized by the enumerated exemptions.
    • Policies and enforcement rules must be approved by the school committee/board after soliciting public input. If no local policy is approved by September 1, DESE’s model policy automatically takes effect until local approval.
    • Annual filing: each public school/district must file its PED policy with DESE by September 1 each year and publish it on the school website; schools must notify students/parents annually by September 1.
  • Implementation timeline and reporting:
    • Schools/districts must have adopted required policies before the start of the 2026–2027 school year.
    • DESE must report to the legislature (Senate and House committees on Ways and Means and the Joint Committee on Education) on implementation by December 31, 2027.

Who is affected

  • Directly: Massachusetts public schools, school districts, school committees/boards, students, parents/guardians, and DESE.
  • Indirectly: school staff (enforcement), vendors/contractors (secure storage solutions), and special education/health providers (for documented exemptions).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Educational/behavioral: expected reduction in in-school distractions and potential benefits to student learning and mental health; depends on effective implementation and enforcement.
  • Equity and discipline: bill emphasizes safeguards against inequitable discipline and expressly prohibits suspension/expulsion for violations — aiming to limit disproportionate impacts.
  • Operational/logistical: districts may need to provide secure device storage, communication alternatives for families, staff training, and administrative oversight.
  • Cost: potential costs for storage infrastructure, training, outreach, and tracking compliance; no specific funding provided in the text.
  • Legal/IEP compliance: districts must accommodate students with disabilities per IEPs, Section 504, ADA, and documented medical needs.

Procedural/status notes and discrepancies

  • Bill filed 7/31/2025. Text indicates legislative steps consistent with state-level enactment (Massachusetts General Laws amendments). The metadata in the package also included unrelated references (a federal Sea Grant Act amendment and a different short title about a remembrance day), and sponsor/committee listings that appear to mix federal and state items. Recommend consulting the official Massachusetts legislative website or the Senate/House bill tracking service to confirm the authoritative text, current status, and final title.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.