Did not become law. It stopped in the House of Representatives's Education Committee on February 3, 2026.
2026 Regular Session
House Bill 702
Public schools; require school boards to adopt policy on bell-to-bell cell phone prohibition.
What it does
The synopsis the Legislature published with the bill.
AN ACT TO REQUIRE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS TO DEVELOP AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOCATED WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO IMPLEMENT AGE-APPROPRIATE AND DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE POLICIES RELATING TO STUDENT CELL PHONE POSSESSION AND USE ON SCHOOL PROPERTY DURING THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL DAY FROM BELL-TO-BELL; TO SPECIFY THE MINIMUM PROVISIONS TO BE CONTAINED IN EACH SCHOOL CELL PHONE-FREE EDUCATION POLICY APPLICABLE TO ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS; TO PRESCRIBE EXCEPTIONS TO POSSESSION; TO PROHIBIT STUDENTS FROM BEING SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF ANY VIOLATION OF SUCH POLICIES; TO REQUIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR OFF-SITE EVENTS; TO REQUIRE SCHOOL BOARDS TO MAKE ITS POLICY PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AND POSTED PROMINENTLY ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S WEBSITE; TO REQUIRE SCHOOL BOARDS, WHEN DESIGNING ITS CELL PHONE-FREE EDUCATION POLICY, TO INCORPORATE SCHOOL-BASED EMERGENCY BEST PRACTICES IN ITS COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN; TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS ACT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-11-55 AND 37-11-57, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS REGARDING THE PROHIBITION ON SUSPENDING OR EXPELLING STUDENTS FOR BEING IN VIOLATION OF THE CELL PHONE POSSESSION POLICY; 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 House of Representatives
Sponsor
Its course
January 14 to February 3, 2026, 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 action2 actions on 2 days
In the House of RepresentativesJan 14 to Feb 3 · stopped20 days
EducationJan 14 to Feb 3 · stopped20 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 House of Representatives Jan 14 – Feb 3
- Jan 14Referred to the House committees on Education and on Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
- Feb 3Died in committee in the House
All 2 actions, as published
- Jan 14Referred To Education;Accountability, Efficiency, TransparencyHouse of Representatives
- Feb 3Died In CommitteeHouse of Representatives