H-0305.1
HOUSE BILL 1122
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives McClintock, Leavitt, Berry, Rude, Callan, Keaton, Doglio, Wylie, Pollet, Barnard, Nance, Berg, Ormsby, Bergquist, and Reeves
Prefiled 12/23/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to improving student outcomes by restricting mobile device use by public school students; adding a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that student use of mobile devices in schools has had a multitude of negative effects on student outcomes. Mobile devices can be a constant distraction that disrupts the learning environment for all students. According to a study from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and as replicated by other researchers, the mere presence of a smartphone by a neighboring student lowers a nonphone student's test performance by about six percent.
(2) The legislature further finds that mobile devices can increase harm to students' mental health either by recording students without consent or through increased cyberbullying. Washington students are still recovering from the massive effects of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including severe learning loss and troubling trends in student mental health.