Rhode Island § 16-21-43 - Health and Safety of Pupils

§ 16-21-43. Policy on use of personal electronic devices in schools. [Effective August 1, 2026.]

(a)(1) Each public school shall have a policy regarding the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities to reduce distractions, maintain environments focused on learning, and protect the privacy and safety of students and staff. Each public school shall notify the parents or guardians of all students attending the school of the policy. The policy shall include, but not be limited to, a prohibition on physical access to a personal electronic device by students during the school day as defined by the department of education and the commission of elementary and secondary education pursuant to §§ 16-2-2 and 16-2-9 and any regulations promulgated thereunder including, but not limited to, 200-RICR-20-05-1.

(2) The district shall make exceptions for student personal device use that provide access to assistive technology necessary to comply with individualized student 504 plans, individualized education plans (IEP), medical needs such as glucose monitoring, and/or a plan to support emergent multilingual learners (MLL) students with appropriate language access programs and services to ensure the provision of appropriate, meaningful public education. The allowable exceptions shall be written into the student’s identified plan and approved by the appropriate team or coordinator.

(3) Students provided an exception to this policy shall not be segregated from students without such exception. Exceptions shall also be made in the event of an emergency.

(b) For the purposes of this section, a “personal electronic device” means a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, computer, smartwatch, or other electronic device not owned or provided to a student by a public school that is capable of communication through the internet or a wireless network.

(c) The policy and any standards and rules enforcing the policy shall be prescribed by the school committee in conjunction with the superintendent or the board of trustees of a charter school and in consultation with any collective bargaining agents that represent school staff. The policy shall be enforced consistently by school administration, be systematic in nature, and should minimize the potential for conflict between students, parents, educators, and staff.

(d) No school official, employee, or agent of the school shall search the contents of any personal electronic device covered by this chapter that is retained by the school during school hours and not in the student’s possession in a locked pouch or container.

(e) The department of elementary and secondary education shall, in consultation with the attorney general’s office and the department of health, provide guidance and recommendations to assist schools with developing and implementing effective policies regarding the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities consistent with this section and shall make such guidance and recommendations publicly available on the department’s website. Guidance and recommendations shall be reviewed annually and regularly updated to reflect applicable research and best practices.

(f) Each school district and charter school shall file its school personal electronic device use policy with the department of elementary and secondary education in a manner and form prescribed by the department.