House Bill prohibiting cell phone use in schools fails in Senate

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- House Bill 2251, better known as the ‘Cell Phone Bill’, was hotly debated amongst citizens before it went to the Senate for approval. The bill was sponsored by Bend State Representative, Emerson Levy; it proposed that school districts adopt a policy prohibiting students’ use of cell phones and other personal devices while in school. 

The bill passed in the House with bipartisan support on April 15th, fueling supporters’ optimism. But, when it went to the Senate on Thursday, it failed. 

Our ‘Problem Solvers’ story on the bill revealed public opinion was split. Many supporters of the ban claim cell phones can cause academic interference and negative mental health effects.

“We actually did a survey of over 1000 families in Bend La Pine last year about tech use in schools and phones specifically, and over 93% of respondents supported phone free schools,” said Ami Formica, parent and founder of Well Wired. 

Those opposed raised concern about communication during emergencies and government overreach in regard to student responsibility. Tiffany Johnson, a parent who responded to KTVZ’s poll on social media, said in-part, “With all the crazy situations that have happened across the nation and locally, I 100% want my kids to have access to call home just in case…”

Representative Levy expressed her disappointment about the bill’s failure in a social media post, simply saying, “A year of work and the cell phone bill died in Senate education today.” KTVZ reached out to Levy for further comment and received the following statement: 

“I strongly believe this legislation would have been one of the most impactful actions we could take to support youth mental health—especially among young women, who are disproportionately affected by cyberbullying and the pressures of social media. While I am disappointed it did not move forward this session, I remain committed to the effort and look forward to working with the governor on potential next steps.”

You may not have seen the end of the bill just yet, though… as suggested in Levy’s statement, Governor Kotek is said to share Levy’s sentiment. Kotek is said to be actively exploring options in taking executive action to keep the concept alive.

We will be monitoring the situation and will keep you informed of any updates.