Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland HB525: County Boards of Education - Student Electronic Communication Device Use Policy - Establishment (Joanne C. Benson Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act)
Status: Signed into law, May 26, 2026
Requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, by the 2027-2028 school year, a policy prohibiting the use of certain electronic communication devices by a student during the academic school day; and prohibiting the policy from restricting the use of an electronic communication device for purposes of accommodations related to a disability, including for any purpose in a student's individual education program, to address a documented health issue, to access language translation tools, or to meet caregiving responsibilities.
What the bill says
An act concerning County Boards of Education - Student Electronic Communication Device Use Policy - Establishment (Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act) (Joanne C. Benson Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act) FOR the purpose of requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, not later than a certain school year, a policy limiting prohibiting the use of an electronic communication device by a student during the school day except under certain circumstances; and generally relating to county boards of education and a student electronic communication device use policy…
From the enrolled text, June 3, 2026:
AN ACT concerning County Boards of Education - Student Electronic Communication Device Use Policy - Establishment (Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act) (Joanne C. Benson Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act) FOR the purpose of requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, not later than a certain school year, a policy limiting prohibiting the use of an electronic communication device by a student during the school day except under certain circumstances; and generally relating to county boards of education and a student electronic communication device use policy. BY adding to Article - Education Section 7-137 Annotated Code of Maryland (2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: Article - Education 7-137. (A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS INDICATED. (2) "ACADEMIC SCHOOL DAY" MEANS ANY STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT OCCURS FROM WHEN THE FIRST BELL RINGS AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL DAY UNTIL THE DISMISSAL BELL RINGS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY, INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONAL PERIODS, LUNCH, RECESS, PASSING PERIODS, AND TRANSITIONAL PERIODS. (3) (I) "ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE" MEANS ANY PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE CARRIED OR TRANSPORTED BY A STUDENT TO RECEIVE, SEND, OR RECORD VOICE, IMAGE, OR TEXT CONTENT, INCLUDING CELL PHONES, TABLETS, LAPTOPS, SMART WATCHES, …