The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Prohibits Cell Phones and Social Media Use During School Hours Under S.21
Last action · March 11, 2025: Committee on Education relieved; bill committed to Committee on Health and Welfare on motion of Senator BongartzSponsors: Terry Williams and 10 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Vermont lawmakers introduced S.21, which requires all public schools, independent schools, career and technical centers, and prequalified private prekindergarten programs to ban student use of cell phones and personal electronic devices from arrival to dismissal starting December 1, 2025. The bill also prohibits schools, districts, and supervisory unions from communicating with students via social media or requiring social media use for any school activities. Exemptions are provided for medical needs authorized by a licensed healthcare provider or required by an or .
School districts, private schools, and prekindergarten providers across Vermont must overhaul student device policies and communication methods by December 2025, altering daily classroom routines and restricting digital interactions between educators and students.
- The measure was introduced in the Vermont Senate by Senator Terry Williams alongside ten cosponsors during the 2025-2026 legislative session. context
- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy publicly called on schools and lawmakers to ensure that classrooms and social time for children are free from mobile devices and social media. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Vermont students
Students are prohibited from using cell phones and personal electronic devices from arrival to dismissal, cannot be required to use social media for school work, and must store devices in approved secure locations unless an authorized medical or educational exception applies.
Public schools and supervisory unions
Schools and governing bodies must develop, adopt, and implement policies banning student device use during school hours, eliminate direct social media communication with students, and block social media access on school-issued devices.
Independent schools and private prekindergarten providers
These entities are required to create and enforce compliant policies prohibiting student use of cell phones and personal electronic devices during the school day.
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
What devices are prohibited under the bill?
Are there any medical or educational exceptions to the cell phone ban?
Can teachers or schools use social media to communicate with students?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 11, 2025SenateCommitteeCommittee on Education relieved; bill committed to Committee on Health and Welfare on motion of Senator Bongartz
- Jan 22, 2025SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to 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.
View official text →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.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools