Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to student access to personal electronic devices in schools
Sponsored by Rep. Jerome Amos Jr. (D), Rep. Timi M. Brown-Powers (D), Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines (D), Rep. Daniel Gosa (D), Rep. Mary Lee Madison (D), Rep. Larry McBurney (D)
Topics:K–12 education
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 10, 2025
- Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to student access to personal electronic devices in schools. On or before December 31, 2025, the bill requires school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt a policy that prohibits student use of personal electronic devices during classroom instructional time. The bill defines “personal electronic device” as a cellular phone or any electronic device that combines a cellular phone with a hand-held computer and that offers internet access, and text or electronic mail capabilities.
Read the full explanation
The bill establishes what the policy is to include. The bill requires school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to make the policy available to the public, provide the department of education with copies of the policy, include the policy in the school district’s or accredited nonpublic school’s student handbook, and provide the parent or guardian of each student with notice of the policy or a copy of the policy.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text
Iowa Code it changes
Creates§280.36
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works