2026 Regular Session
HB525
County Boards of Education - Student Electronic Communication Device Use Policy - Establishment (Joanne C. Benson Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act)
Requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, by the 2027-2028 school year, a policy prohibiting the use of certain electronic communication devices by a student during the academic school day; and prohibiting the policy from restricting the use of an electronic communication device for purposes of accommodations related to a disability, including for any purpose in a student's individual education program, to address a documented health issue, to access language translation tools, or to meet caregiving responsibilities.
Legislative progress
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This summary includes only completed milestones supported by recorded actions. It does not predict the next step, and it preserves later committee reassignments, concurrence, conference, veto, and approval actions when they occur.
Recorded floor votes
3 roll calls are available for this bill. This record includes procedural and intermediate action as well as substantive final votes.
March 23, 2026 · House
Third Reading Passed
Passed ⭐ Substantive final action
135 yea–1 nay · 3 not voting · 2 absent
April 9, 2026 · Senate
Third Reading Passed
Passed ⭐ Substantive final action
41 yea–0 nay · 3 not voting · 3 absent
April 11, 2026 · House
Third Reading Passed
Passed ⭐ Substantive final action
130 yea–1 nay · 4 not voting · 6 absent
Committee referrals
March 23, 2026 · Senate
Education, Energy, and the Environment
January 27, 2026 · House
Ways and Means
Instrument history
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This is the complete recorded action history in the current source package. Highlighted entries are marked as significant by the source. A roll-call link appears only when a vote-like action has one unambiguous same-day chamber vote.
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House Approved by the Governor - Chapter 596
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House Passed Enrolled View roll call
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House Third Reading Passed (130-1) View roll call
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House House Concurs Senate Amendments
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Senate Third Reading Passed (41-0) View roll call
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Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
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Senate Favorable with Amendments {403029/1 Adopted
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Senate Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
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Senate Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment
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House Third Reading Passed (135-1) View roll call
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House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
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House Favorable with Amendments {293220/1 Adopted
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House Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means
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House Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.
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House First Reading Ways and Means