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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
school policies; internet; wireless devices
Purpose
Requires each school district governing board (governing board) and charter school governing body (governing body) to prescribe and enforce policies and procedures that govern student access to internet, restrict student access to social media platforms and limit student use of wireless communication devices during the school day as outlined, unless the school district or charter school has existing policies and procedures that meet the prescribed requirements on the effective date.
Background
The State Board of Education (SBE) must establish best practices for social media and cellular telephone use between students and school personnel, including teachers, coaches and counselors, and encourage governing boards and governing bodies to adopt policies that implement these best practices. The SBE must make these best practices available to public and private schools (A.R.S. § 15-203).
A local
education agency must adopt policies regarding the use of technology and the
internet while at school. This policy must include notifying a parent of the
adopted policies and the parent's ability to prohibit the student from the use
of technology and the internet while at school in which personally identifiable
information may be shared with an operator (A.R.S.
§ 15-1046).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires each governing board and governing body to prescribe and enforce policies and procedures that:
a) govern student access to the internet provided by the school, including policies that restrict student access to social media platforms; and
b) limit the use of wireless communication devices by students during the school day.
2. Specifies that a school district or charter school is not required to develop and adopt the policies or procedures that govern student access to school-provided internet and limit use of wireless communication devices if the school district or charter school has existing policies or procedures that meet the prescribed requirements on the effective date.
3. Requires the policies and procedures limiting student use of wireless communication devices to include procedures for a student's parent to contact the student and for a student to contact the student's parent during the school day.
4. Specifies that policies and procedures limiting student use of wireless communication devices must allow students to use wireless communication devices:
a) for educational purposes, as directed by the student's teacher;
b) during an emergency; or
c) if the student needs a wireless communication device because of a medical condition.
5. Specifies that policies and procedures governing student access to the internet must allow teachers to give students access to social media platforms to the extent necessary for educational purposes.
6. Requires the school district to provide a copy of the outlined policies, and notification of any changes to the policy, to parents, teachers and students at the beginning of each school year.
7. Defines school day as periods of time when students are at school, including meals, passing periods and recess.
8. Defines social media platform as a website, computer application or other digital platform that is used for social networking and creating or exchanging virtual content.
9. Specifies wireless communication devices includes personal devices and school provided devices.
10. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Requires the policies and procedures limiting student use of wireless communication devices to allow:
a) students and parents to contact one another; and
b) a student to use a wireless communication device because the student has a medical condition.
2. Requires the school district to provide a copy of the outlined policies, and notification of any changes to the policy, to parents, teachers and students at the beginning of each school year.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
· Specifies that a school district or charter school is not required to develop and adopt the policies or procedures if the school district or charter school has existing policies or procedures that meet the prescribed requirements on the effective date.
House Action Senate Action
ST 2/12/25 DP 9-0-0-0 ED 3/12/25 DPA 7-0-0
3rd Read 2/24/25 41-18-1
Prepared by Senate Research
April 9, 2025
MH/KK/ci