The Oklahoma House overwhelmingly passes its first bill of the new legislative session.

 

The Bell-to-Bell, No Cell bill - passed Thursday - would prohibit the use of cell phones by students during the school day. The bill would require Oklahoma school boards to adopt policies prohibiting cell phone use on campus before the start of the next school year. Personal electronic devices, including smartwatches, are also included in the measure.

 

The legislation requires that any policy prohibiting cell phone use must also include a provision for emergency use, including items used for medical issues. The bill also leaves it up to the local district to decide how to implement the cell phone ban.

 

 The bill passed the House floor with a vote of 82-9 and will now move to the Senate for further consideration.