HB 959: Various Education Changes. - North Carolina

Ratified → SL 2025-38 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill version number was updated from v-4 to v-5, indicating a revision to the legislative text. This change reflects ongoing refinement of the bill before final ratification, though no substantive policy, scope, or legal requirements appear to have changed in this specific diff.

TECHNICAL

Version number updated from H959-v-4 to H959-v-5, indicating a revision to the bill text during the legislative process.

Edition 3 → Ratified · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove specific restrictions on TikTok and employee use of TikTok, while retaining the core internet safety policy. The social media literacy instruction requirements remained substantially the same, though the formatting of the list of topics was adjusted. The wireless communication device regulation section was expanded to include reporting requirements for school compliance.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the specific prohibition on TikTok and the restriction on employees using TikTok for job-related duties. The overall applicability to public schools remains unchanged.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the explicit prohibition on students accessing social media platforms except when directed by a teacher, replacing it with a more general prohibition on social media access.

Deleted the requirement that employees of local boards of education shall not use TikTok for job-related duties.

Added a requirement for public school units to submit their wireless communication policies to the Department of Public Instruction by September 1 of the effective year and to provide updates when policies change.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a requirement for the Department of Public Instruction to report annually to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on public school unit compliance with wireless communication policies.

TECHNICAL

Adjusted the formatting and structure of the social media literacy instruction requirements list, though the substantive content remained largely the same.

Edition 2 → Edition 3 · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand its scope beyond just social media literacy and internet safety to include regulation of wireless communication devices during instructional time. The short title was changed to reflect this broader scope, and a new section was added requiring schools to establish policies prohibiting student use of wireless devices like cell phones, tablets, and laptops during class, with specific exceptions for educational purposes, medical needs, and IEP requirements. The effective date for the social media and mental health instruction requirements was also delayed from the 2025-2026 school year to the 2026-2027 school year.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly expanded to include regulation of wireless communication devices during instructional time in addition to social media and internet safety requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Short title changed from 'Social Media Literacy in Schools' to 'Protecting Students in a Digital Age' to reflect the broader scope including wireless device regulation.

New section added requiring local boards of education to establish wireless communication device policies that prohibit student use of devices during instructional time, with exceptions for educational purposes, medical needs, and IEP requirements.

TikTok prohibition expanded to include any successor application or service developed by ByteDance Limited or an entity owned by ByteDance Limited.

New requirement added prohibiting employees of local boards of education from using TikTok for job-related duties, including classroom instruction or promoting school-sponsored activities.

TIMELINE

Effective date for social media and mental health instruction requirements changed from 2025-2026 school year to 2026-2027 school year.

DEFINITION

Added definition of 'wireless communication device' to include cellular phones, tablets, laptops, paging devices, two-way radios, and gaming devices.

ENFORCEMENT

New provision added allowing school governing bodies to establish consequences for wireless device policy violations, including confiscation and disciplinary measures.

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill revision makes technical formatting changes to the header and sponsor information while substantially reorganizing the policy requirements for social media restrictions in schools. The main substantive change involves restructuring how TikTok and successor platforms are prohibited, breaking down a single rule into three distinct categories for clarity. The core policy requirements remain largely the same, with the bill still mandating internet safety policies and social media mental health instruction.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains unchanged - it still applies to all local school administrative units in North Carolina for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond.

REQUIREMENT

Reorganized the TikTok prohibition from a single rule into three separate numbered instances: on school-owned devices, through school internet access, and as a communication platform for school activities.

Changed the language from 'data or information' to 'data or information maintained by the local school administrative unit' in the hacking prohibition section for greater specificity.

TECHNICAL

Updated terminology from 'school district' to 'local school administrative unit' for consistency with North Carolina education law terminology.

Removed primary sponsor names and committee referral information from the header section.

Added 'Committee Substitute Favorable 5/6/25' designation to indicate this is a revised version approved by the committee.

Filed → Edition 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill underwent significant formatting and structural changes between the filed version and the first edition. The primary substantive change involves renumbering the list of required social media literacy topics, which shifted from seven items to eight items by reorganizing the numbering sequence. Several administrative details were updated, including sponsor information and document identification numbers.

TECHNICAL

The document header and footer information was updated with new bill identification numbers (H959-v-1) and revised session formatting.

Sponsor information was expanded to include additional representatives (K. Hall and Biggs) and added a reference to the General Assembly website for a complete sponsor list.

The referral information was updated with a specific date (April 14, 2025) and added committee names (Education - K-12, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House).

The list of required social media literacy instruction topics was renumbered from items 1-7 to items 2-8, maintaining the same content but changing the numbering sequence.

The document page footer was updated from the draft identification number to 'House Bill 959-First Edition'.

Various Education Changes.

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