Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Distraction Free Schools Grant Program; appropriates $2 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a grant program to promote the limited use of cell phones and social media in public schools, supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Student use of cell phones and social media is associated with risks including, but not limited to, mental health issues, learning loss, and poor academic performance.
b. The United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory concerning the effects of social media use on youth mental health and is calling for a Congress to add a surgeon generals warning label to social media platforms.
c. Several state legislatures, including California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York have also introduced legislation to address student use of cell phones and social media platforms in schools.
d. To ensure a robust academic environment in the public schools of the State, it is imperative that the Legislature takes action to encourage public schools to promote limited student use of cell phones and social media platforms in schools.
2. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a Distraction Free Schools Grant Program. The grant program shall provide grants to public schools to promote the limited use of cell phones and social media platforms during regular school hours and during school-sanctioned events where the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the public school.
b. The Department of Education shall develop and recommend best practices and programs concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms for public schools receiving a grant under the program. The recommendations shall, at a minimum:
(1) provide age appropriate and grade-level differentiated policies concerning limiting student use of cell phones and social media platforms;
(2) be consistent with State and federal law, including accommodations provided in a students Individualized Education Program or educational plan established pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. s.1400 et seq., or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. s.794;
(3) permit student use of cell phones in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger;
(4) permit student use of cell phones upon submission by a parent or guardian of documentation from a health care professional indicating that the use of a cell phone is necessary for the health or well-being of the student;
(5) address smartphones, cell phones with only text or voice functions, and other relevant devices, including smart watches;
(6) list options that may be utilized by a public school for cell phone storage, including pouches and cell phone lockers;
(7) provide recommendations for a public school to establish network-based restrictions to prevent the use of, or access to, social media platforms; and
(8) detail protocols for communicating the schools policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms to students, their families, and teaching staff members.
c. The recommendations shall promote student learning and well-being. In developing the guidelines, the commissioner shall involve stakeholders to ensure that the guidelines are responsive to the needs of students, parents, and teaching staff members.
d. The department shall provide technical assistance and training to public schools that receive a grant under the program.
3. a. A public school wishing to participate in the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program shall submit an application to the Commissioner of Education in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The application shall detail how the grant funding will assist the school in limiting student use of cell phones and social media platforms.
b. A public school shall not be required to implement any of the best practices or programs recommended by the department pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of this act as a condition of receiving grant funding.
c. Grant awards shall be allocated to public schools on a competitive basis, in a manner to be determined by the commissioner. Based upon the criteria developed by the commissioner, and within the limit of available appropriations, the commissioner shall allocate to each selected grantee a grant in an amount determined by the commissioner. To the extent possible, the commissioner shall select grant recipients from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, and shall seek a cross section of recipients from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
4. a. A public school that receives a grant under the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program shall annually submit a report to the Commissioner of Education. The report shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) information on the schools use of grant funding to limit student use of cell phones and social media;
(2) the impact of the policies implemented by the school on academic achievement, student behavior and disciplinary infractions, absenteeism, and harassment, intimidation, and bullying; and
(3) an evaluation of the impact of the policies implemented by the school on student emotional well-being.
b. The Commissioner of Education shall, after compiling the information submitted by the schools participating in the grant program, submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall include an analysis of the impact of the grant program on academic achievement, student behavior and disciplinary infractions, absenteeism, and harassment, intimidation, and bullying in comparison to metrics of public schools not receiving a grant under the program.
5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $2,000,000 to fund the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program established pursuant to section 1 of this act.
6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program. The program is to provide grants to public schools to promote the limited use of cell phones and social media platforms during regular school hours and during school-sanctioned events where the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the public school.
The bill requires the Department of Education to develop and recommend best practices and programs concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms for public schools receiving a grant under the program. The recommendations are to, at a minimum, (1) provide age appropriate and grade-level differentiated policies concerni