County Boards of Education - Student Cellular Phone Use Policy - Establishment (Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act)

This Maryland bill (SB 368, the "Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act") requires county school boards to create policies limiting student cell phone use during class hours (excluding lunch). The policy must prohibit phones during class, mandate secure storage, and ban social media apps - while allowing exceptions for students with IEPs/504 plans, health monitoring, emergencies, or educational use directed by staff. First-time violations would result in a warning, enforced by administrators. County boards must implement these policies by the 2026-2027 school year.