School district-cell phone and smart watch policies.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

School District Policies on Cell Phones and Smart Devices

This law requires school districts to create rules about students using cell phones and smart devices, and to send these rules to the state education leader.

What This Bill Does

• Requires each school district to make rules about how students can have and use cell phones and smart devices in schools.
• Asks each school district to give a copy of their new rules to the state superintendent of public instruction as soon as possible after making them, and again if they change the rules later.
• Defines what counts as a 'smart device' for this law, which does not include watches that only tell time or track health information.

Who It Names or Affects

• School districts in Wyoming
• Students who attend schools in these districts

Terms To Know

Smart device

A device like a cell phone or tablet, but not including watches that only tell time or track health information.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify what kind of rules the school districts must make.
• It is unclear how strictly schools will enforce these policies.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 26LSO-0238

Bill No.:

SF0035

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

26LSO-0238

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0046

Chapter No.:

56

Prime Sponsor:

Schuler

Catch Title:

School district-cell phone and smart watch policies.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Policies governing cell phones and smart devices in schools.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act requires each school district board of trustees to adopt policies governing student possession and use of cellular telephones and smart devices in schools.

This act requires each school district to submit a copy of its adopted policy as soon as practicable after initial adoption and upon any substantial revision.

This act clarifies that a "smart device" does not include a wearable device limited to telling time, monitoring a person's health information, or tracking a person's location.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

26LSO-0238

ORIGINAL Senate

File No
.
SF0035

ENROLLED ACT NO. 46,

SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2026 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to education; requiring school districts to adopt policies governing students' possession and use of cell phones and smart devices in schools; requiring the adopted policies to be submitted to the state superintendent of public instruction; providing definitions; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
‑
3
‑
110(a) by creating a new paragraph (xlv) is amended to read:

21
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3
‑
110.

Duties of boards of trustees.

(a)

The board of trustees in each school district shall:

(xlv)

Adopt policies governing student possession and use of cellular telephones and smart devices in schools. Each district shall submit a copy of the policy adopted under this paragraph to the state superintendent as soon as practicable after the initial adoption of the policy and any time thereafter that the policy is substantially revised. A smart device shall not include a wearable device that can only tell time, monitor a person's health information or track a person's location.

Section 2
.

Not later than July 1, 2026, each school district board of trustees shall establish policies required by W.S. 21
‑
3
‑
110(a)(xlv) as created by section 1 of this act.

Section 3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

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