Legislature(2025 - 2026)DAVIS 106
02/24/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB28 | |
| HB12 | |
| HB57 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 28 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 12 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 57-COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
9:08:44 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 57, "An Act relating to wireless
telecommunications devices in public schools; and providing for
an effective date." [Before the committee was CSHB 57(L&C).]
9:09:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZACK FIELDS, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented CSHB 57(L&C) to the committee. He explained
that himself, Senator Wielechowski, and Governor Dunleavy all
have drafted bills in the current legislative session that aim
to curb the use of cell phones in public schools. He said that
the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee amended the
proposed legislation to have its language be consistent with the
DEED and emphasized the overwhelming evidence that cell phone
access and use is harmful to schoolchildren in Alaska.
9:11:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM shared his understanding that the
restrictions on electronic device use proposed under CSHB
57(L&C) would be limited to personal device use.
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS confirmed Representative Elam's
understanding was correct.
9:12:37 AM
KELLY LESSENS, Member, Anchorage School Board, gave invited
testimony on CSHB 57(L&C). She detailed a proposed policy on
cell phone use that the Anchorage School Board was considering
and emphasized the negatives effects of cell phone use by young
people and their impacts on children's learning. She suggested
replacing the word "possessing" to "accessing" on page 2, line
1, and replacing "regular school hours, including lunch and
passing periods" with "during instructional time" on page 2,
line 2. She pointed to a series of studies and research that
supported her proposed amendment language and said the proposed
changes would make for a more clearly worded bill.
9:20:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE UNDERWOOD shared an anecdote about her own
child's positive experiences in attending a school district that
doesn't allow the use of cell phone during its instructional
hours.
9:22:24 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM shared an anecdote about the benefits of
children being away from their cell phones.
9:23:48 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked if there is currently anything
preventing school districts in Alaska from banning cell phones
on their own accord.
MS. LESSONS answered that there is nothing stopping school
boards from banning cell phones and said that current policy
within the Anchorage School District (ASD) is to allow phones as
they are needed.
9:26:33 AM
DAVID BOOTH, Principal, Palmer High School, gave invited
testimony on CSHB 57(L&C). He said that his school implemented
a total cell phone ban during the school hours and emphasized
that the policy has "completely transformed our building". He
highlighted research that found that students are distracted by
their cell phones and said that there has been a 28 percent
reduction in failing grades in his school since the
implementation of the total cell phone ban. He said that
alcohol and drug related offenses are down and emphasized his
observation that students are happier when they are not engaged
with phones and social media.
9:32:59 AM
JB ATKINSON, School Therapist, Windler Middle School, gave
invited testimony on CSHB 57(L&C). He highlighted a youth-risk
behavior survey from 2023 that found a clear correlation between
youths who were on their phone and those who weren't. He
emphasized that the mere presence of a phone was enough to cause
a negative outcome and explained that there was a "clear
difference" between a child that has a phone in a classroom and
one that doesn't. He explained that children often are in
agreeance that the lack of a phone leads to a more focused and
productive learning environment and pointed out that children
must not be allowed to access their phones during passing
periods due to their capacity to distract a child for at least
15 minutes beyond their time using the phone.
9:38:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID requested the college freshmen study
that Mr. Atkinson cited during his remarks.
9:38:50 AM
DEENA BISHOP, Commissioner, Department of Education, gave
invited testimony on CSHB 57(L&C). She began her remarks by
clarifying the general prohibition on cell phone use that
currently exists within statewide public education policy in
Alaska. She highlighted the numerous ways that cell phones pose
as a distraction to schoolchildren in Alaska and emphasized that
"social medial algorithms prioritize content that drives
engagement, likes, shares, and comments". She pointed to the
outsized impact of negative comments, cyberbullying, and body
image that social media has on children and adults alike. She
said that adolescents are spending an average of 7 hours and 22
minutes on their phones daily, much of which is on social media
platforms and added that the "invasive use of phones is eroding"
basic work and focus skills that these students will need to
survive and thrive later in life. She explained that limiting
cell phone use during the day could help schools establish
healthier habits and reinforce the importance of abstaining from
cell phone use in the name of mental and physical health. She
said that unrestricted cell phone use during school hours
"greatly" increases the risk of cyberbullying and online abuse
and explained how pervasive and different online harassment from
what is more traditionally understood to be harassment. She
said that limiting cell phone use during school hours is "not
merely a policy decision, but a necessary intervention to
protect our student's mental health, attention, and wellbeing".
9:49:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM commented his appreciation for MS. Bishop's
remarks about cell phone use and its effect on schoolchildren.
9:49:48 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked if students would be able to take
their cell phones off campus with them during lunch.
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS answered that the concept of the proposed
legislation's enforcement policy would be "off and away" and
said that each district would have their own way of doing that.
He shared the books "the Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt
and "Stolen Focus" by Johann Hari.
9:52:35 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked if there are other examples of how
school districts around the world and country are dealing with
the issue of cell phone use in schools.
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS opined that "other western nations just
have much more responsible policy to govern social media for
youth in general, so do other states" and said that HB 57 is the
"bare minimum" policy directive for cell phone use in schools
and said that companies are monetizing the attention of children
in a way that is profoundly detrimental to the mental health of
children. He explained that social media companies are "fully
aware" that the way they drive attention and engagement directly
leads to higher rates of suicide, especially among young girls
and emphasized that these social media companies are consciously
making the decision to drive engagement to make more money.
9:54:44 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT shared her understanding that a child who
uses their cell phone to control their hearing aids would be
considered a medical exception under HB 57.
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS confirmed Co-Chair Himschoot's
understanding was correct.
9:55:21 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that HB 57 would be held over.