This bill would add a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW creating a new law that restricts student mobile device use during "instructional hours" and establishes procedures and deadlines to implement those restrictions. It requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to report to the appropriate legislative committees by December 15, 2025, summarizing policies and procedures from Washington and other states and making recommendations for strategies and exceptions. The bill directs the Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) to develop a model policy and procedures informed by OSPI’s report and to post that model publicly beginning March 15, 2026. By the start of the 2026-27 school year each school district, including charter and state-tribal education compact schools, must adopt a policy consistent with the WSSDA model and share the district policy with students and parents/guardians at least annually. The bill defines "mobile device" and references RCW 28A.150.205 for the meaning of "instructional hours," and it includes legislative findings about negative effects of mobile devices on student outcomes and an intent that restrictions begin in 2026-27. Legally, this is a procedural change establishing a new reporting requirement, a requirement for WSSDA to produce a model policy, and a mandate that districts adopt and publish local policies. The extracted text lists example strategies and exceptions but does not create a new criminal offense or change penalties; no enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or consequences for noncompliance are described in the provided facts. The extracted material is incomplete in several respects: the precise statutory section number to be added is not given; the actual statutory text defining "instructional hours" (RCW 28A.150.205) is not included; the full content of OSPI’s recommendations and WSSDA’s model beyond the examples is not provided; the specific legislative committees to receive the report are not named; and there is no information about enforcement or remedies for noncompliance.

If enacted, state education officials will have to study and recommend ways to limit students' personal mobile phones during class time and produce a report to the Legislature by December 15, 2025; the Washington State School Directors' Association will then create a publicly posted model policy by March 15, 2026. School districts, including charter and state-tribal compact schools, must adopt policies consistent with that model before the 2026-27 school year and share those policies with students and parents at least once a year. In practice this will mean schools restrict personal phone use during instructional hours (school-issued devices are excluded) and are likely to use measures such as time or location limits, requiring phones to be left at the front office or classroom, or placing them in secure containers, with recommended exceptions for emergencies, certain disabilities, health needs, English learners, and instructional uses. The most affected parties are OSPI, WSSDA, school districts, students, and families: OSPI and WSSDA will need staff time to research, draft, and publish guidance; districts must develop, adopt, communicate, and enforce new local rules, which could create modest costs for communications, training, or storage solutions. The bill does not spell out enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or the exact statutory definition of "instructional hours" in this extract, so how strictly rules are applied and the consequences for noncompliance remain unclear.