Vermont legislation · 2025-2026 Session
Vermont S21: An act relating to cell phone-free schools
Status: In committee, March 11, 2025
What the bill says
An act relating to cell phone-free schools It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont.
From the introduced text, January 22, 2025:
An act relating to cell phone-free schools It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: Sec. 1. FINDINGS (a) Findings. The General Assembly finds that: (1) The National Education Association reported in August 2024 that percent of its members support a policy to prohibit use of cell phones and personal electronic devices for the entire school day. (2) In June 2024, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on Congress to pass legislation requiring warning labels on social media because VT LEG #379276 v.1 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.21 2025 Page 2 of these products have not been proven safe for children. He also called on schools to "ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences." (3) Youth in Vermont are in a mental health crisis. According to the 2023 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), percent of high school students said that their mental health was sometimes to always "not good." Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Vermont's youth. (4) The youth mental health crisis is driving up education costs in Vermont. A 2024 Legislative Education Costs Survey conducted by the Vermont Agency of Education found that the number of positions dedicated to mental and behavioral health in the 48 responding supervisory unions and districts was 142 in fiscal year …
Sponsors
- Terry Williams (R, Rutland District) · primary sponsor
- Patrick Brennan (R, Grand Isle District)
- Brian Collamore (R, Rutland District)
- Ann Cummings (D, Washington District)
- Samuel Douglass (R, Orleans District)
- Lawrence Hart (R, Orange District)
- Russell Ingalls (R, Essex District)
- Virginia Lyons (D, Chittenden-Southeast District)
- Robert Norris (R, Franklin District)
- Andrew Perchlik (D, Washington District)
- Rebecca White (D, Windsor District)
Latest actions
- : Committee on [Education] relieved; bill committed to Committee on [Health and Welfare] on motion of Senator [Bongartz]
- : Read 1st time & referred to Committee on [Education]
Common questions
- What is S21?
- S21 is a bill in the Vermont Legislature (2025-2026 Session): An act relating to cell phone-free schools.
- What does S21 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to cell phone-free schools It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont.
- What is the status of S21?
- In committee as of March 11, 2025. Latest action: Committee on [Education] relieved; bill committed to Committee on [Health and Welfare] on motion of Senator [Bongartz] (March 11, 2025).
- Who sponsored S21?
- Terry Williams (R, Rutland District), with 10 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for S21?
- On the Vermont Legislature website: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.21
Source: official Vermont record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.