RELATING TO EDUCATION.

Education

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: WOODSON, AMATO, CHUN, EVSLIN, GARCIA, GARRETT, GRANDINETTI, HOLT, KAHALOA, KILA, KUSCH, LA CHICA, LAMOSAO, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MATSUMOTO, MORIKAWA, OLDS, PERRUSO, PIERICK, POEPOE, QUINLAN, SAYAMA, SOUZA, TAKAYAMA, TARNAS, TEMPLO, TODD, WARD
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on enforcement or emergency use exceptions.

Banning Phones and Related Devices in Schools

This bill requires the Board of Education to create a policy that bans students from using phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and other similar devices during school hours.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Board of Education to adopt a policy banning the use of phones and related devices by students during school hours.

Who It Names or Affects

Students who attend public schools in Hawaii

Terms To Know

Bell-to-bell policy: A rule that applies from the start of school until the end, including all classes and breaks.
Related devices: Items like smartwatches, earbuds, AirPods, and Bluetooth headphones.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if a student needs to use their phone for an emergency.
It is unclear how schools will enforce this ban or handle confiscated devices.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment requires the Board of Education to create a policy that bans students from using cellphones and related devices during school hours, starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

The Board of Education must adopt a new policy banning the use of cell phones and related devices by students during school hours.

The amendment specifies an effective date of July 1, 3000, which seems incorrect or possibly a placeholder for future implementation.
Details on how the ban will be phased in are not provided beyond mentioning it may happen gradually by school level.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to EDU, JDC.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 359).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-28 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1083), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-02-21 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran, Todd.
2025-02-19 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Friday, 02-21-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-02-13 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kitagawa, Ward excused (3).
2025-02-13 H
Reported from EDN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 581) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.
2025-02-11 H
The committee on EDN recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 11 Ayes: Representative(s) Woodson, La Chica, Amato, Evslin, Garrett, Kapela, Kila, Olds, Sayama, Muraoka, Souza; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2025-02-07 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by EDN on Tuesday, 02-11-25 2:01PM in House conference room 309 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-27 H
Referred to EDN, JHA, referral sheet 4
2025-01-23 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO EDUCATION.
Department of Education; Phones; Related Devices; Ban
Requires the Board of Education to adopt a policy that bans the use of phones and related devices by students during school hours. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB1343

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1343

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO EDUCATION
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION 1.
�
The legislature finds that cellphone use in
schools can be detrimental to student achievement and wellbeing.
�
Research has shown that allowing cellphones
in the classroom impacts student focus and engagement, leading to decreased
academic performance on tests and adversely impacting students' long-term
learning retention.
�
Excessive cellphone
use can also distract students from in-person socialization, which is critical for
students' physical and mental wellbeing.

����
The
legislature further finds that there is a growing number of states that are
banning or restricting cellphone use in schools.
�
At least nineteen states have passed laws or
enacted policies that ban or restrict students' use of cellphones in schools
statewide or have recommended that local districts enact bans or restrictive
policies.
�
In Hawaii, efforts to ban
cellphones in schools has had a positive impact on students, with teachers
reporting fewer distractions in class and more social interactions among
students.

����
The
purpose of this Act is to require the board of education to adopt a policy that
bans the use of cell phones and related devices, such as smart watches,
earbuds, AirPods, and Bluetooth connected headphones, by students during school
hours.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�302A-
�
Phone-and-related-devices-free,
bell-to-bell policy.
�
The board shall establish a phone-and-related-devices-free,
bell-to-bell policy for public schools to be implemented beginning with the
2025-2026 school year; provided that the policy may be implemented in phases
for each school level.
"

����
SECTION
3.
�
New statutory material is
underscored.

����
SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Department
of Education; Phones; Related Devices; Ban

Description:

Requires
the Board of Education to adopt a policy that bans the use of phones and
related devices by students during school hours.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.