Plain English Breakdown
The source text confirms the July 1, 2026 deadline applies to existing law requirements for general policies, not a new requirement created solely by this bill.
AB-962: Smartphone Rules for School Safety Plans
This law allows schools to ban smartphone use during emergencies or perceived threats if their comprehensive safety plan explicitly includes this rule.
What This Bill Does
- Authorizes school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to prohibit students from using smartphones during an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger.
- Requires that any prohibition on smartphone use during emergencies be explicitly addressed in the school's comprehensive safety plan.
Who It Names or Affects
- School districts operating public schools for kindergarten through grade 12.
- County offices of education and their governing boards.
- Charter schools and their governing bodies.
- Students at a schoolsite or under the supervision of school employees.
Terms To Know
- Comprehensive School Safety Plan
- A plan required by law that identifies strategies to maintain high levels of safety and addresses procedures for complying with safety laws.
- Schoolsite
- The physical location where a school operates or an area where students are under the supervision of school staff.
Limits and Unknowns
- This change only applies if the emergency rule is explicitly written in the comprehensive safety plan.
- The official source material does not list specific penalties for breaking these rules.
- The effective date is not provided in the available text.