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Session of 2026
HOUSE BILL No. 2421
By Representatives Brantley, Butler, Chauncey, Goetz, Martinez, Oropeza, Steele,
K. Williams and Xu
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AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts and accredited
nonpublic schools; prohibiting students from using personal electronic
communication devices during school hours; prohibiting school
employees from communicating with students via social media
platforms for official school purposes and providing certain exceptions;
requiring the adoption of policies and procedures relating thereto;
requiring each board of education of a school district and governing
authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school to
report on the average amount of screen time that students in
kindergarten and grades one through four experience during a typical
school day.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. (a) Each board of education of a school district and
governing authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary
school shall adopt policies and procedures to govern the use of personal
electronic communication devices by students during the normal hours of
the school day, including in the classroom, passing periods and lunch time.
Such policies and procedures shall:
(1) Prohibit students from using or accessing personal electronic
communication devices;
(2) require that all personal electronic communication devices be
turned off and securely locked or stowed away in a secure lockable pouch,
phone locker or other inaccessible location;
(3) set forth enforcement procedures and disciplinary actions for
violations of such policies and procedures;
(4) authorize any student to use a personal electronic communication
device only if the use is:
(A) (i) Required for the implementation of a student's individualized
education program or 504 plan; or
(ii) approved by an individual licensed by the state board of healing
arts to practice medicine and surgery or a mid-level practitioner as defined
in K.S.A. 65-1626, and amendments thereto, as a medical necessity to
support the health or well-being of the student; and
(B) the intervention of last resort such that there is no other
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reasonable alternative option available for such student; and
(5) authorize a student to contact the student's parent or person acting
as parent through the use of a school telephone or other communications
device that is designated and made available by the school for such
purpose.
(b) The board of education of a school district and governing
authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school may
adopt policies and procedures that limit or prohibit use of personal
electronic communication devices by students during school-sponsored
activities or events that occur outside of the normal hours of the school
day.
(c) As used in this section, "personal electronic communication
device" means any wireless electronic communication device that:
(1) Provides for voice, text or video communication between two or
more parties, including, but not limited to, a mobile or cellular phone,
tablet, computer, watch, wireless headphones or earbuds, text messaging
device or personal digital assistant; and
(2) is not owned or issued to students by the school district or
accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school.
New Sec. 2. (a) Each board of education of a school district and
governing authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary
school shall adopt policies and procedures to prohibit each employee of
the school district or accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school
from privately or directly communicating with any student via a social
media platform for official school purposes except as otherwise provided
in subsection (b).
(b) The board of education of a school district or governing authority
of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school may approve a
social media platform to be used for official school purposes.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) "Official school purposes" means the broadcasting or posting of
public, one-way communications that pertain to school functions, activities
or events. "Official school purposes" does not include private
communications, direct communications or two-way communications with
any student.
(2) "Social media platform" means any online website, application,
computer software or other internet medium that permits a person to
become a registered user, establish an account or create a profile for the
purpose of allowing the person to create, share and view user-generated
content through such account or profile. "Social media platform" includes,
but is not limited to, snapchat, instagram, facebook, X and tiktok.
New Sec. 3. (a) On or before September 1, 2026, each board of
education of a school district and governing authority of an accredited
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nonpublic elementary or secondary school shall submit the following to
the state board of education on a form and in the manner prescribed by the
state board:
(1) A certification that the board of education of the school district or
governing authority of the accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary
school has adopted the policies and procedures required pursuant to
sections 1 and 2, and amendments thereto; and
(2) a report on the average amount of time that students who are
attending the school district or accredited nonpublic elementary school in
grades one through four spend on an electronic device with a screen during
a typical school day, including any such device that is owned or issued by
the school district or governing authority of the accredited nonpublic
elementary or secondary school, such as a tablet, laptop or desktop
computer, phone, e-reader or any other electronic device that includes a
screen. Each board of education of a school district and governing
authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary school shall collect and
report such information as aggregate data for each such grade level if no
personally identifiable student data is collected or reported. The state
department of education shall publish each such report on the website of
the state department of education.
(b) The state board of education may establish rules and regulations
or other guidance as the board determines necessary to carry out the
provisions of this section.
New Sec. 4. The provisions of sections 1 through 3, and amendments
thereto, and any policies and procedures adopted thereunder, shall not
apply to any virtual school as defined in K.S.A. 72-3712, and amendments
thereto.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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