SF 35 Wyoming House · 2026 Regular Session

School district-cell phone and smart watch policies.

This bill requires all Wyoming school districts to create and adopt written policies governing student use of cell phones and smart watches during school hours. It defines "smart watch" as a wearable device that functions like a phone (excluding basic timepieces or health trackers) and mandates that districts submit their policies to the state superintendent by July 1, 2026. The law applies directly to every public school district in Wyoming, setting a clear deadline for policy implementation. It does not specify exact restrictions but establishes a framework for districts to develop their own rules.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Mar 2026
Introduced Feb 10, 2026 Signed Mar 6, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 6, 2026
MINOR
The bill was finalized and enrolled as law, changing the title to include 'smart devices' instead of just 'smart watches.' The definition of a smart device was updated to explicitly exclude simple time-telling wearables, health monitors, or location trackers. The effective date was set to immediately upon the bill's completion of the legislative process.
Scope change
The scope of the policy was slightly broadened by changing the term 'smart watches' to 'smart devices,' though the definition clarifies that simple time-telling wearables are excluded.
DEFINITION

The term 'smart watch' in the title and text was changed to 'smart device,' and a new definition was added to exclude devices that only tell time, monitor health, or track location.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for districts to submit policies to the state superintendent was updated to include a clause for submitting the policy 'as soon as practicable' after initial adoption.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from a specific July 1, 2026 deadline for establishing policies to an immediate effective date upon the bill becoming law.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 23, 2026 · House Mar 4, 2026

How they voted

256
Passed
Total votes 31
Feb 23, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican29
23 Yea 6 Nay
79% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
7
Committee
4
Mar 6, 2026
Signed into law
Governor Signed SEA No. 0046
legislature
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
H 3rd Reading:Passed 40-20-2-0-0
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
H COW:Passed
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
H04 - Education:Recommend Do Pass 6-2-1-0-0
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Introduced
H Introduced and Referred to H04 - Education
lower
Feb 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
S 3rd Reading:Passed 25-6-0-0-0
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
S COW:Passed
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
S04 - Education:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
upper
Feb 10, 2026
Introduced
S Introduced and Referred to S04 - Education 22-8-1-0-0
upper
1 primary · 10 co-sponsors

Sponsors