Plain English Breakdown
The official source material contains conflicting dates (e.g., 'July 1, 2027' vs '2028') indicating the bill text provided is an amended version where final numbers were not yet settled.
AB-1644: Rules on Smartphone Use in Schools
This law requires schools serving grades TK through 8 to ban smartphone use and limits existing rules for high schoolers, while allowing exceptions for students with specific federal disability plans.
What This Bill Does
- Requires schools serving transitional kindergarten through grade 8 to create a policy that bans student smartphone use on campus or under staff supervision starting July 1 of either 2027 or 2028.
- Limits the existing rule about limiting smartphones so it applies only to students in grades 9 through 12 starting July 1 of either 2027 or 2028.
- Prohibits teachers from requiring students in transitional kindergarten through grade 8 to use a smartphone for classwork starting July 1, 2028.
- Allows any student to possess or use a smartphone if their plan under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires it.
- Requires schools to include the new smartphone policy in student handbooks if they provide one.
- Orders the State Department of Education to study school policies and submit a report with recommendations by January 1, either 2028 or 2029.
Who It Names or Affects
- School districts, county boards of education, and charter schools in California
- Students from transitional kindergarten through grade 12
- The State Department of Education
Terms To Know
- Local Educational Agency (LEA)
- School districts, county boards of education, or charter schools that manage student learning.
- Plan under the Rehabilitation Act
- A federal plan for students with disabilities that may require smartphone use as a necessary tool.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official text lists multiple possible dates (2027 or 2028) for when the new rules start, so the exact year is not yet fixed in this version.
- The report from the State Department of Education will only include policies from at least 30 schools that agree to participate and represent state diversity.