Bill to ban cell phones passes house, senate

State lawmakers are moving forward with measures in both the House and Senate to remove cell phones from Oklahoma classrooms.

“This is one of those that changes the trajectory of our education system,” said Sen. Dave Rader (R-Tulsa).

Sen. Ally Seifried (R-Claremore) has been working on eliminating phones from schools since she entered the legislature in 2023. The previous measures have ultimately failed, but Seifried says she is confident she has the support for the amended version of her bill.

The amendment would require schools to adopt a policy to fully eliminate cell phones in schools for one year. After the trial period, each district could adopt its own phone-free policy.

“Let's try it, let's do something hard for one year, and then, after that give school boards the autonomy to decide what's best for them,” Seifried said.

State senators debated the measure for almost 40 minutes, sharing support and concerns on the legislation. One of the biggest concerns is safety and the fact that kids would not have access to a phone in an emergency, like a school shooting.

“Let parents express their concerns about emergencies,” said Sen. Mary Boren, (D-Norman).

“I understand the safety concerns, but phones are not safe,” Seifried said.

Many Republicans spoke in support of the legislation, sharing data about the detriment of technology on young students. ,

Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) talked about the rise in suicide, bullying, and other mental health declines.

“We've heard horror stories and tragedies,” Pugh said.

Seifried says she’s heard from parents across the state who support the bill.

She read one email from an Oklahoma mom who said this legislation could provide protections that her daughter could have benefitted from.

“My daughter was coaxed into sending an inappropriate picture to the boy who shared it with multiple friends. If this is going on in our school, how can our students be successful and learn?” said Seifried.

Many members, including former Oklahoma City Public School board member State Senator Mark Mann (D-OKC), think districts should have some kind of cell phone policy. They disagree on the local control portion.

“I certainly believe that every district should have a policy that deals with use of cell phones and electronic devices, but I fundamentally believe that policy should be dictated by the locally elected board of education in consultation with parents, teachers, and local superintendent,” said Mann.

Republicans argued that this should be an “all hands on deck” operation.

“This isn't about usurping local control, this is partnering with our local stakeholders to say, listen this is a big enough issue that everyone has got to partner,” Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond) said.

After much debate, the legislation passed off the Senate floor. It will now head to the house for consideration.

The house has a similar measure that passed this week and will now head to the state senate.