KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to District of Columbia

B26-0073 • 2025

Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act of 2025 (now known as "Disconnect Act of 2025")

Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act of 2025 (now known as "Disconnect Act of 2025")

Children Education Healthcare Labor Parental Rights
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Pinto
Last action
2025-09-19
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text specifies the policy must be adopted by a deadline before the 2026-2027 School Year; it does not explicitly state when enforcement begins for prior years.

Disconnect Act of 2025

This law requires public schools in Washington, D.C., to create rules that stop students from using or carrying personal phones and other wireless devices during the school day.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires local education agencies (LEAs) serving grades K-12 to adopt a policy prohibiting students from possessing personal wireless communication devices on school premises at any time during the full school day.
  • Allows LEA policies to include exemptions for specific educational purposes or documented healthcare needs, such as monitoring medical conditions or receiving health alerts.
  • Mandates that schools establish consequences for violating device rules that are consistent with existing attendance accountability laws.
  • Requires schools to publish their policies on their websites at least 15 days before the school year starts and share them with families before the first day of school.
  • Directs each school within an LEA to identify how parents can contact children in urgent situations, how the school will communicate during emergencies, and where devices should be stored.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students enrolled in grades K-12 at District of Columbia Public Schools or public charter schools
  • Parents and guardians of students attending these schools
  • School employees, contractors, and volunteers who have contact with students during school hours

Terms To Know

Personal wireless communication device
A cell phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, or gaming device that is not owned or provided by the school.
Possessing
Carrying or holding an item on one's person; this definition does not include carrying items in a backpack, purse, handbag, or other personal carryall.
Healthcare needs
Specific medical requirements or disability-related supports documented by a licensed provider that require using a device for monitoring conditions, administering medication, receiving alerts, or communicating with caregivers during the school day.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law requires policies to be adopted before the start of the 2026-2027 School Year.
  • Schools have flexibility in how they define specific educational exemptions and manage device storage, as long as they meet minimum requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2025-09-19 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law L26-0039, Effective from Sep 10, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 010163

  2. 2025-07-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2025-07-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0113 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008159

  4. 2025-07-22 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2025-07-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0113

  6. 2025-07-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 24, 2025

  7. 2025-07-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2025-05-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0073 by the Committee of the Whole

  10. 2025-03-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0073 View Public Hearing Record

  11. 2025-02-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  12. 2025-02-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary

  13. 2025-02-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0073 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  14. 2025-02-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee of the Whole

  15. 2025-01-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0073 Introduced by Councilmember Pinto at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Heads Up! Distraction-Free Learning Amendment Act of 2025 (now known as "Disconnect Act of 2025")

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
ANACT
D.C. ACT 26-113
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
SULY 21, 2025
‘Todirectlocaleducationagenciestoadoptandimplementapersonalwirelesscommunication
devicepolicythatprohibitsastudentfromusingapersonalwirelesscommunication,
deviceduringthefullschoolday.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Thatthis
actmay be citedasthe“DisconnectAct of 2025”.
Sec.2.Definitions.
Forthepurposesofthisact,theterm:
(1)“Fullschoolday”shallhavethesamemeaningasprovidedinsection1(2B)of
anActToprovideforcompulsoryschoolattendance,forthetakingofa schoolcensusinthe
DistrictofColumbia,andforotherpurposes,approvedFebruary4,1925(43Stat.806;D.C.
Code§38-201(2B)).(2)“Healthcareneeds”meansspecificmedicalrequirementsordisability-or
health-relatedsupportsthataredocumentedbyalicensedmedicalproviderwiththeLEAand
thatrequiretheuseofapersonalwirelesscommunicationdeviceformonitoringamedical
condition,administeringmedication,receivinghealth-relatedalerts,receivingdisability-related
supports,orcommunicatingwithmedicalpersonnelorcaregiversregardingthestudent'shealth
duringtheschoolday.(3)“LEA”meanslocaleducationagency,whichistheDistrictofColumbia
PublicSchoolssystemoranyindividualpubliccharterschoolorgroupofpubliccharterschools
operatingundera singlecharter.(4)“Personalwirelesscommunicationdevice”meansacellularphone,tablet
computer,laptopcomputer,orgamingdevicethatisnotownedorprovidedbytheschool.(5)“Possessing”meanscarryingorholdinganitemonone’spersonbutdoesnot
includecarryingorholdinganiteminabackpack,purse,handbag,orotherpersonalcarryall.

Sec.3.LEArequirementsforapersonalwirelesscommunicationdevicepolicy.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(a)Nolaterthan15daysbeforethestartofthe2026-2027SchoolYear,eachLEAservingstudentsenrolledingradesK-12shalladoptandimplementapersonalwirelesscommunicationdevicepolicythatprohibitsK-12studentsfrom,ataminimum,possessingapersonalwirelesscommunicationdeviceonschoolpremisesatanytimeduringthefullschoolday.(b)AnLEA'spersonalwirelesscommunicationdevicepolicymayincludeexemptionsforastudentpossessingapersonalwirelesscommunicationdeviceforspecificeducationalpurposesandtomanageastudent'shealthcareneeds.
(©)EachLEA'spersonalwirelesscommunicationdevicepolicyshall:(1)Establishconsequencesifastudentviolatesthepolicy;provided,thatthe
consequencesshallbeconsistentwithsection204oftheAttendanceAccountabilityAmendmentActof2013,effectiveAugust25,2018(D.C.Law22-157;DC OfficialCode§38-236.04);(2)EstablishaprocessandtimelinefortheLEAtoassesswhetherthepolicyisworkingandhowtorefineit;(3)BepublishedontheLEA’swebsitenolaterthan15daysbeforethestartofeachschoolyearforwhichthepolicyisineffect,andthatmid-yearmodificationsshallbe
publishednolaterthan15daysbeforebeingeffective:(4)Becommunicatedtoallenrolledfamiliesbeforethefirstdayofschool;and(5)BecommunicatedtoallLEAemployees,contractors,andvolunteerswhohavecontactwithstudentsduringschoolhours.(d)EachLEA’spersonalwirelesscommunicationdevicepolicyshallrequireeachschoolintheLEAto:(1)Identifyhowaparentorguardianofan enrolledstudentshouldcommunicate
urgentinformationtotheirchildduringthefullschoolday;(2)Identifyhowtheschoolwillcommunicatewithfamiliesincasesof
emergency;and(3)Identifyappropriatestorageforstudents’personalwirelesscommunicationdevicesduringthefullschoolday.
Sec.4.Stateeducationagencyresponsibilities.By March 1,2026, the Office ofthe StateSuperintendentof Education shalldevelop and
sharewith LEAs a model policythatmeets the requirements prescribedinsection3,
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aofthe GeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,
approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C,OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
Sec.6.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(¢)(1))..
airman’
Councilofthe DistrictofColumbia

Distric!iGolumbia
JULY 21, 2025

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XJACTION
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

FirstReading
[X]VOTE DATE June3, 2025
(X]VOICEvoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[ ]ROLL CALL VOTE -Result
[CouncilMember[Aye[Nay|Nv[AB[Rec[CounciMember[Aye|Nay|NV[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye|Nay|NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendelson)X Henderson|X Pinto x
Alen x LewisGeorge| x White
Bonds x Mebutte x
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Patker x
X- IndicateVote AB -Absent NV -Present,NotVoting Rec -Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD 75
SecretarytotheCounci Date
DocketNo, B26-0073
[IITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XIACTION FinalReading
[X]VOTE DATE July1,2025
[X]VOICE VOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST Parker
ABSENT
{]ROLLCALLVOTE-Result
CouncilMember[Aye[Nay[Nv[AB[RecCouncMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendelson]X Henderson__|x Pinto x
Alen x LewisGeorge_| x R.White
Bonds x McDuffiex
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote ‘AB~Absent NV--Present,NotVoting Roc-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
‘SecretarytotheCouncil