l9n/ Mississippi

2025 Regular Session

Senate Bill 2151

Education; require public schools to adopt policies prohibiting or restricting cell phone possession or use by students in class.

Did not become law. It stopped in the House of Representatives's Education Committee on March 4, 2025. The 2025 session has ended.

What it does

The synopsis the Legislature published with the bill.

AN ACT TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL AND AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND CERTAIN STATE HIGH SCHOOLS, TO ADOPT AND SEND TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NO LATER THAN JANUARY 1, 2026, A SPECIFIC POLICY BANNING THE POSSESSION, OR RESTRICTING THE USE, OF CELL PHONES BY STUDENTS DURING CLASS OR WHILE UNDER THE SUPERVISION AND CONTROL OF A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE; TO PROVIDE THAT, IF A SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT FAILS TO ADOPT AND TRANSMIT A POLICY AS REQUIRED, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL DEDUCT ONE DAY'S WORTH OF THE SCHOOL'S OR DISTRICT'S FUNDS UNDER THE TOTAL FUNDING FORMULA FOR EACH DAY AFTER JANUARY 1, 2026, THAT THE SCHOOL OR DISTRICT IS NONCOMPLIANT; TO PROVIDE FOR POTENTIAL EXCEPTIONS WHICH ALLOW STUDENTS TO POSSESS OR USE CELL PHONES UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; TO PROVIDE THAT SUFFICIENT CAUSE FOR SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION MAY NOT CONSIST OF ONLY A VIOLATION OF THE CELL PHONE POSSESSION AND USE POLICY DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED UNDER THIS ACT, EXCEPT THAT SUSPENSION MAY BE USED AS A DISCIPLINARY MEASURE OF LAST RESORT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Sponsors

Who carried the bill in each chamber, and who signed on. Each name leads to the member's page.

In the Senate

2 co-sponsors

David Parker, Sollie B. Norwood

Its course

January 20 to March 4, 2025, on one scale. In the top row each mark is a day something happened; taller marks are busier days.

Each committee stop sits inside its chamber.

Every action7 actions on 6 days

In the SenateJan 20 to Feb 617 days

EducationJan 20 to Jan 3111 days

In the House of RepresentativesFeb 6 to Mar 4 · stopped26 days

EducationFeb 14 to Mar 4 · stopped18 days

Text

Each version as the Legislature printed it.

l9n doesn't hold this bill's text yet.

What happened

In l9n's words, one line for each step. Every action as the Legislature published it is below.

In the Senate Jan 20 – Feb 6

  1. Jan 20Referred to the Senate committee on Education
  2. Jan 31Reported from committee in the Senate: title sufficient, do pass as a committee substitute
  3. Feb 6Committee substitute adopted in the Senate
  4. Passed the Senate

In the House of Representatives Feb 7 – Mar 4

  1. Feb 7Sent to the House
  2. Feb 14Referred to the House committees on Education and on Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
  3. Mar 4Died in committee in the House
All 7 actions, as published
  1. Jan 20Referred To EducationSenate
  2. Jan 31Title Suff Do Pass Comm SubSenate
  3. Feb 6Committee Substitute AdoptedSenate
  4. Feb 6PassedSenate
  5. Feb 7Transmitted To HouseSenate
  6. Feb 14Referred To Education;Accountability, Efficiency, TransparencyHouse of Representatives
  7. Mar 4Died In CommitteeHouse of Representatives