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Bill

HB 419

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires LEAs and public charter schools to prohibit students from displaying, using, or accessing an electronic device during the school day unless an exception applies; requires local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to develop and adopt a policy to implement the prohibition and to submit its policy to the department of education no later than July 31, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Becky Jo Alexander

Tennessee bill would have required schools to ban student electronic device use during school days with state-determined exceptions, allowing local policy flexibility.

Withdrawn.
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Bill Summary · HB 419

Legislative bill overview

HB 419 would have required Tennessee's local education agencies and public charter schools to prohibit student use of electronic devices during the school day, with exceptions determined by individual schools. Schools would need to develop policies implementing this restriction and submit them to the state Department of Education by July 31, 2025.

Why is this important

Device restrictions in schools affect educational delivery, student engagement, and classroom management across the state. The policy would have created uniform statewide guidelines while allowing local flexibility, impacting how schools balance technology use for learning with concerns about distraction and mental health.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition of exceptions: The bill doesn't specify which exceptions schools could create, leaving ambiguity about legitimate educational use, accessibility needs, and medical devices
  • Implementation burden: Schools would need to develop compliant policies quickly and enforce restrictions consistently across diverse student populations
  • Educational technology conflict: The prohibition could clash with schools' increased reliance on digital learning tools, especially post-pandemic, and may disadvantage schools using device-based curricula

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

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