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HB 2299KANSASSession 2025-2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Kansas bans student cell phones during school and restricts employee social media contact

Original title: AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts and accredited nonpublic schools; providing that certain statutory references to accredited nonpublic schools mean nonpublic schools accredited by the state board of education; requiring that schools accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency have the same rights as nonpublic schools accredited by the state board; prohibiting students from using personal electronic communication devices during the school day and providing certain exceptions; prohibiting school employees from communicating with students through social media platforms for official school purposes and providing certain exceptions; requiring the adoption of policies and procedures relating thereto; amending K.S.A. 72-7114 and K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-5170 and repealing the existing sections.

Last action · March 20, 2026: Approved by Governor on Thursday, March 19, 2026

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Kansas school districts and accredited nonpublic schools must prohibit students from using personal electronic communication devices during the school day, ban school employees from private social media communication with students, and submit compliance certifications by September 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Changes daily rules for every public and accredited nonpublic school student and employee in Kansas regarding personal phone usage and digital communications, while establishing statutory rights for regionally or nationally accredited private schools.

Background
  • The Kansas Legislature passed Senate Substitute for Substitute for HB 2299 to establish uniform statewide standards for student electronics use and employee communications in schools. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

School district students

Students are prohibited from using or accessing personal electronic communication devices during the school day with limited exceptions.

Directly affected

School employees

Employees are prohibited from privately communicating with students through social media platforms or requiring social media use for school assignments.

Directly affected

School districts and accredited nonpublic schools

Districts and nonpublic schools must adopt compliant policies and submit certification to the State Board of Education by September 1, 2026.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can students bring a cell phone to school?
Yes, but policies must require that the device be turned off and securely stored away from the student's person in an inaccessible location, or students may choose to leave devices at home or in a vehicle.
Are there any exceptions allowing a student to use a phone during the day?
Students may use a device if required by an (IEP) or , or if approved by a licensed physician as a medical necessity when no other reasonable alternative exists.
Can teachers message students on social media?
No, employees are prohibited from privately or directly communicating with students through social media platforms, except for approved official school-purpose platforms that permit monitoring and archiving.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

34 actions
  1. Mar 20, 2026HouseEnrolled
    Approved by Governor on Thursday, March 19, 2026
  2. Mar 13, 2026House
    Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, March 13, 2026
  3. Mar 11, 2026House
    Engrossed on Tuesday, March 10, 2026
  4. Mar 10, 2026House
    Concurred with amendments
  5. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  6. Mar 5, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted recommending substitute bill be passed
Show 28 earlier actions
  1. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by
  2. Mar 5, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Amendment by was adopted
  3. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by
  4. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Amendment by was rejected
  5. Mar 5, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Substitute bill be passed as amended
  6. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    fa_fabc_912
  7. Mar 5, 2026SenateFloor
    Emergency Final Action - Substitute passed as amended
  8. Mar 4, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee Report recommending substitute bill be passed by
  9. Mar 20, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Senate Committee on Education
  10. Mar 19, 2025House
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  11. Mar 19, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted recommending substitute bill be passed
  12. Mar 19, 2025House
    Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by
  13. Mar 19, 2025House
    rep_estes_susan_2 raised a question of germaneness. The amendment was ruled not germane
  14. Mar 19, 2025House
    Committee of the Whole - Ruling of the chair was sustained
  15. Mar 19, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Substitute bill be passed
  16. Mar 19, 2025HouseFloor
    Motion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted
  17. Mar 19, 2025HouseFloor
    Emergency Final Action - Substitute passed
  18. Mar 19, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Received and Introduced
  19. Mar 18, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee Report recommending substitute bill be passed by
  20. Feb 27, 2025House
    Withdrawn from House Committee on Education; Rereferred to House Committee on Education
  21. Feb 25, 2025House
    Withdrawn from House Committee on Federal and State Affairs; Referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  22. Feb 20, 2025House
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  23. Feb 20, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Passed over and retain a place on the calendar
  24. Feb 20, 2025House
    Withdrawn from Calendar; Referred to House Committee on Education
  25. Feb 18, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by
  26. Feb 11, 2025House
    Hearing: Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 1:30 PM — Room 218-N
  27. Feb 5, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Introduced
  28. Feb 5, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to House Committee on Education

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Mandatory Statewide Device and Social Media Restrictions

The legislation shifts authority by requiring uniform local board policies governing personal electronic devices and banning private employee-student social media communication.

State Board of Education

Connected Entities

State Board of Education, Senate Committee on Education
OrganizationState Board of Education“Accredits schools and receives compliance certifications”Map →
OrganizationSenate Committee on Education“Committee that introduced the substitute bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.kslegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz50
    Current news / social attention level

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