SB 302

 Session of 2026
                         SENATE BILL No. 302
     By Senators Blasi, Alley, Blew, Bowers, Bowser, Claeys, Clifford, Corson,
    Erickson, Fagg, Faust Goudeau, Francisco, Hill, Klemp, Kloos, Masterson,
    Murphy, Owens, Peck, Petersen, Pettey, Rose, Shallenburger, Shane, Starnes,
                           Sykes, Thompson and Warren
                                       1-6
1 AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts and accredited
2   nonpublic schools; prohibiting students from using personal electronic
3   communication devices during instructional time and providing certain
4   exceptions; prohibiting school employees from communicating with
5   students via social media platforms for official school purposes and
6   providing certain exceptions; requiring the adoption of policies and
7   procedures relating thereto.
8
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
10     New Section 1. (a) Each board of education of a school district and
11 governing authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary
12 school shall adopt policies and procedures to govern the use of personal
13 electronic communication devices by students during instructional time.
14 Such policies and procedures shall:
15     (1) Prohibit students from using or accessing personal electronic
16 communication devices during instructional time;
17     (2) require that all personal electronic communication devices be
18 turned off and securely stored away from the student's person in an
19 inaccessible location during instructional time;
20     (3) authorize students to not bring personal electronic communication
21 devices to school by leaving such devices at a house or in a vehicle, even
22 if such vehicle is located on the school premises;
23     (4) set forth enforcement procedures and disciplinary actions for
24 violations of such policies and procedures;
25     (5) authorize any student to use a personal electronic communication
26 device during instructional time only if the use is:
27     (A) Required for the implementation of a student's individualized
28 education program or 504 plan; or
29     (B) approved by a licensed physician as a medical necessity to
30 support the health or well-being of the student; and
31     (6) authorize a student to contact the student's parent or person acting
32 as parent through the use of a school telephone or other communications
33 device that is designated and made available by the school for such
34 purpose.
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1     (b) The board of education of a school district and governing
2 authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school may
3 adopt policies and procedures that limit or prohibit use of personal
4 electronic communication devices by students during school-sponsored
5 activities or events that occur outside of instructional time.
6     (c) As used in this section:
7     (1) "Instructional time" means the time from the start of the school
8 day until dismissal at the end of the school day on the school premises,
9 including, but not limited to, in any classroom, structured or unstructured
10 learning setting, recess, lunch or passing period. "Instructional time" does
11 not include any time associated with a student's travel to or from a learning
12 experience that is not located on the school premises, including any
13 postsecondary educational course, career technical education course,
14 work-based learning program or other alternative educational opportunity.
15     (2) "Personal electronic communication device" means any wireless
16 electronic communication device that:
17     (A) Provides for voice, text or video communication between two or
18 more parties, including, but not limited to, a mobile or cellular phone,
19 tablet, computer, watch, wireless headphones or earbuds, text messaging
20 device or personal digital assistant; and
21     (B) is not owned or issued to students by the school district or
22 accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school.
23     New Sec. 2. (a) Each board of education of a school district and
24 governing authority of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary
25 school shall adopt policies and procedures to prohibit each employee of
26 the school district or accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school
27 from privately or directly communicating with any student via a social
28 media platform for official school purposes except as otherwise provided
29 in subsection (b).
30     (b) The board of education of a school district or governing authority
31 of an accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school may approve a
32 social media platform to be used for official school purposes.
33     (c) As used in this section:
34     (1) "Official school purposes" means the broadcasting or posting of
35 public, one-way communications that pertain to school functions, activities
36 or events. "Official school purposes" does not include private
37 communications, direct communications or two-way communications with
38 any student.
39     (2) "Social media platform" means any online website, application,
40 computer software or other internet medium that permits a person to
41 become a registered user, establish an account or create a profile for the
42 purpose of allowing the person to create, share and view user-generated
43 content through such account or profile. "Social media platform" includes,
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1 but is not limited to, snapchat, instagram, facebook, X and tiktok.
2    New Sec. 3. On or before September 1, 2026, each board of
3 education of a school district and governing authority of an accredited
4 nonpublic elementary or secondary school shall submit to the state board
5 of education, on a form and in the manner prescribed by the state board, a
6 certification that the board of education of the school district or governing
7 authority of the accredited nonpublic elementary or secondary school has
8 adopted the policies and procedures required pursuant to sections 1 and 2,
9 and amendments thereto.
10    New Sec. 4. The provisions of sections 1 through 3, and amendments
11 thereto, and any policies and procedures adopted thereunder, shall not
12 apply to any virtual school as defined in K.S.A. 72-3712, and amendments
13 thereto.
14    Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
15 publication in the statute book.