HB 1276: Schools; requiring district policies prohibiting student cell phone and personal electronic device use under certain circumstances; effective date; emergency. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to reflect Senate floor changes, including updated dates and committee information. The core policy requirements remain the same: school districts must prohibit student cell phone and electronic device use during the school day, with exceptions for emergencies and medical needs. The Senate version adds more specific definitions for 'personal electronic devices' and clarifies the school day timing.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains unchanged - it still applies to all school districts in Oklahoma, but the Senate version clarifies the definition of personal electronic devices to include smart watches, headphones, laptops, tablets, and smart glasses.

TIMELINE

Effective date changed from unspecified to July 1, 2025

DEFINITION

Added specific examples of personal electronic devices including smart watches, headphones, laptops, tablets, and smart glasses

Clarified 'school day' definition to specify it runs from first bell to final bell

TECHNICAL

Updated committee report date from February 11, 2025 to April 8, 2025

Changed bill version header from House Floor to Senate Floor

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised from a House Committee Substitute version to the Floor (House) version, adding coauthors and updating formatting. The core policy content regarding student cell phone restrictions remains substantively unchanged, though the document structure was modified to reflect floor amendments and committee reporting.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; the policy requirements for school districts remain the same.

TECHNICAL

Added coauthors Lowe (Dick) and Moore of the House to the bill sponsorship list.

Updated document headers and footers to reflect Floor version formatting with committee amendment indicators.

Added committee report information dated 02/11/2025 indicating the bill should pass as amended and coauthored.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to change the title from 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' to 'Oversight Committee Substitute', indicating a shift in which legislative committee is handling the bill. The substantive policy content regarding cell phone restrictions in schools appears unchanged, with only minor formatting and page number adjustments.

TECHNICAL

Title changed from 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' to 'Oversight Committee Substitute' reflecting committee assignment changes.

Page reference numbers updated from 12384 to 12550 in the tracking numbers.

Date stamp changed from 02/04/25 to 02/10/25 reflecting the amendment date.

Engrossed → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from its Engrossed version to a Proposed Policy Committee Substitute version, which appears to be a procedural revision rather than a substantive policy change. The core provisions regarding school cell phone policies remain the same, but the document format and committee markings have been updated to reflect the House Policy Committee's review process.

TECHNICAL

Document format changed from 'Engrossed House' to 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' with updated committee markings and page headers

Page numbering and reference numbers updated to reflect the committee substitute version

Committee amendment notation added showing the bill was amended by deleting and reinserting the entire measure

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Feb 13, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the scope of prohibited devices from cell phones and smartwatches to include all personal electronic devices capable of internet or cellular connectivity. This change broadens the policy's reach to cover laptops, tablets, smart headphones, and smart glasses, while clarifying that school-issued devices used for classroom instruction are exempt. The amendment also adds a new definition for personal electronic devices and reorganizes the bill's structure to reflect the engrossed version.

Scope change

Expanded from cell phones and smartwatches to include all personal electronic devices capable of connecting to the internet, cellular networks, or other similar devices.

SCOPE

Prohibited devices expanded from cell phones and smartwatches to include all personal electronic devices capable of connecting to the internet, cellular networks, or other similar devices.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'personal electronic device' that includes smart watches, smart headphones, laptops, tablets, and smart glasses.

Clarified that personal electronic devices do not include school-issued or school-approved devices specifically limited for use in classroom instruction.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the bill title and summary to reflect the expanded scope of prohibited devices from cell phones and smartwatches to personal electronic devices.

Schools; requiring district policies prohibiting student cell phone and personal electronic device use under certain circumstances; effective date; emergency.

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