Screen Free Schools Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 948

Short Title: Screen Free Schools Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Chitlik and Chaudhuri (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S948-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE GO VERNING BODIES OF PU BLIC SCHOOL UNITS TO ADOPT 2
POLICIES RESTRICTING THE USE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN 3
SCHOOLS AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR TEACHER ASSISTANTS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-76.25(a) reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 115C-76.25. Parent legal rights for their child's education. 7
(a) Parents have legal rights with regards to their child's education, including the 8
following: 9
… 10
(13) The right to opt out of being issued a wireless communication device by a 11
school, any requirement that a student take a wireless communication device 12
home with them from school, or use of a wireless communication device for 13
testing or assessments except those assessments issued b y the State for 14
compliance with federal law." 15
SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-76.100 reads as rewritten: 16
"§ 115C-76.100. Regulation of wireless communication devices. 17
(a) The following definitions apply in this section: 18
(1) Wireless communication device. – Any portable wireless device that has the 19
capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between 20
two or more parties, including the following: 21
a. Cellular telephones. 22
b. Tablet computers. 23
c. Laptop computers. 24
d. Paging devices. 25
e. Two-way radios. 26
f. Gaming devices. 27
(2) Wireless communication policy. – A policy governing the use of wireless 28
communication devices by students. 29
(b) The governing body of a public school unit shall establish a wireless communication 30
policy. At a minimum, except as pe rmitted in subsection (c) of this section, the policy shall 31
prohibit students from using, displaying, or having a wireless communication device turned on 32
during instructional time.time and include at least the following restrictions: 33
(1) For kindergarten through grade five, the following: 34
a. Prohibit students from using any wireless communication device in 35
classrooms. 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 948-First Edition
b. Require all instruction to be print-based and hands-on. 1
c. To the extent practicable, require all tests and assessments to be 2
conducted using printed materials. 3
(2) For grades six through eight, the following: 4
a. Allow that students may use wireless communication devices that are 5
shared between other students or classrooms. This excludes using their 6
own personal wireless communication device. 7
b. Prohibit schools from issuing wireless communication devices to 8
students. 9
c. Require that a ny wireless communication device that is owned or 10
contracted for use by a school and used for instructional purposes 11
restrict access to any non-instructional content, including social media 12
platforms and any shared video or media platforms. 13
d. Provide that the total amount of time that a student spends on any 14
wireless communication device during normal school hours shall be 15
less than one hour per school day. 16
e. Require that any wireless communication device owned or contracted 17
for use by a school shall remain on school premises at all times. 18
(3) For grades nine through 12, the following: 19
a. Allow a school to issue wireless communication devices to students 20
individually for instructional purposes. 21
b. Provide that the total amount of time that a student spends on any 22
wireless communication device during normal school hours shall be 23
less than one hour and 30 minutes per school day. 24
c. Require that a student's use of a school-issued wireless communication 25
device is only for instructional purposes. 26
d. Require that a ny assignments or homework that require the use of a 27
school-issued wireless communication device outside of normal 28
school hours shall not require a student to use such digital device for 29
more than one hour per day to complete the assignments or homework. 30
(c) A wireless communication policy shall allow student use of a wireless communication 31
device during instructional time as follows: 32
(1) If authorized by a teacher for educational purposes or for use in the event of 33
an emergency. The governing body may establish parameters to be followed 34
by a teacher in granting authorizations. 35
(2) As required by the student's individualized education program or section 504 36
(29 U.S.C. § 794) plan. 37
(3) As required to manage a student's health care, in accordance with a 38
documented medical condition. 39
(d) The governing body shall establish the consequences for violations of the wireless 40
communication policy, which may include confiscation of the wireless communication device 41
and disciplinary measures under the public school unit's Code of Student Conduct. 42
(e) No later than September 1 of the year in which this section becomes effective, every 43
public school unit shall send to the Department of Public Instruction a copy of the public school 44
unit's wireless communication policy. The public school unit shall provide the Department of 45
Public Instruction with a copy of the wireless communication polic y anytime it is changed. No 46
later than October 1 of each year, the Department of Public Instruction shall report to the Joint 47
Legislative Education Oversight Committee the number of public school units that are in 48
compliance with this section and the name of any public school unit which is not in compliance 49
with this section." 50
SECTION 3. G.S. 115C-85 reads as rewritten: 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 948-First Edition Page 3
"§ 115C-85. Textbook needs are determined by course of study. 1
When the State Board of Education has adopted, upon the recommendation of the 2
Superintendent of Public Instruction, a standard course of study at each instructional level in the 3
elementary school and the secondary school, setting forth what subjects shall be taught at each 4
level, it shall proceed to select and adopt textbooks. 5
As used in this part, "textbook" means systematically organized material comprehensive 6
enough to cover the primary objectives outlined in the standard course of study for a grade or 7
course. Formats for textbooks may be print or nonprint, including hardbound books, softbound 8
books, activity-oriented programs, classroom kits, and technology -based programs that require 9
the use of electronic equipment in order to be used in the learning process.process, provided that 10
printed materials shall be used in all classrooms for kindergarten through grade eight. 11
Textbooks adopted in accordance with the provisions of this Part shall be used by the public 12
schools of the State except as provided in G.S. 115C-98(b1)." 13
SECTION 4.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 14
Public Instruction the sum of nine hundred thirty million dollars ($930,000,000) in recurring 15
funds beginning with the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to be used to allocate one teacher assistant to 16
every classroom serving students in kindergarten through grade five. 17
SECTION 4.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 18
Public Instruction the sum of four million three hundred thousand dollars ($4,300,000) in 19
recurring funds beginning with the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to pr ovide grants pursuant to 20
G.S. 115C-269.31. 21
SECTION 5. This act is effective when it becomes law. 22