COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is July 1, 2025, but no specific enforcement penalties are defined in this excerpt.

SB 18: Wireless Devices in Alaska Public Schools

This law requires the state to create a model policy and school districts to adopt policies banning students from using personal wireless devices during regular school hours.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the department of education to develop a model policy that bans non-school-issued wireless devices in public schools during regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods.
• Mandates each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting students from possessing or using these devices during those times.
• Allows districts to either use the state's model policy or create their own local policy with similar rules.
• Permits policies to include exceptions for students who need to use a device for emergency purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public school students
• School district administrators and employees
• Parents, guardians, volunteers, and other school staff

Terms To Know

Wireless telecommunications device

Any portable wireless device that can send voice, messages, or data between two or more people.

Regular school hours

The time students are at school, which includes class time, lunch periods, and passing times between classes.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify what actions schools must take if a student breaks the rule.
• School districts decide how to handle emergency exceptions within their own policies.
• The text defines devices generally but does not list specific types like smartwatches or tablets.

Official Summary Text

COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
An Act relating to wireless telecommunications devices in public schools; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

SB0018A -1- SB 18
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0219\N

SENATE BILL NO. 18

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY SENATORS WIELECHOWSKI, Gray-Jackson

Introduced: 1/22/25
Referred: Education

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to wireless telecommunications devices in publ ic schools; and 1
providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.33 is amended by adding a new section to read: 4
Article 5. Wireless Telecommunications Devices. 5
Sec. 14.33.300. Wireless telecommunications device policy. ( a ) T h e 6
department shall develop and adopt a model policy that prohibits the use of nonschool-7
issued wireless telecommunicati ons devices in public schools du ring regular school 8
hours, including lunch and passing periods. The policy may allo w an exception for 9
students to use a wireless telecommunications device for emergency purposes. 10
(b) Each school district shall adopt a policy that prohibits s tudents from 11
possessing or using a nonschool-i ssued wireless telecommunicati ons device during 12
regular school hours, including lunch and passing periods. Each school district shall 13
share this policy with parents or guardians, students, voluntee rs, and school 14
34-LS0219\N
SB 18 -2- SB0018A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

employees. The policy may allow an exception for students to us e a wireless 1
telecommunications dev ice for emergency purposes. A school dist r i c t m a y e i t h e r 2
develop and adopt its own policy or adopt the model policy developed under (a) of this 3
section. 4
(c) In this section, "wireless telecommunications device" mean s any portable 5
wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messa ging, or other data 6
communication between two or more parties. 7
* Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 1, 2025. 8