SB92 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Donnie ChesteenSenator
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Public K-12 schools, cell phone policy and Internet/social media safety
Summary: SB92 would ban students from using or possessing wireless devices on public K-12 school grounds during instructional time, require internet and social media safety policies and a pre-8th-grade social media safety course, and repeal the current device-use rule.
What This Bill Does
Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, students may not use or possess wireless devices in school buildings or on school grounds during instructional time, with limited exceptions. Local boards must adopt wireless device and internet safety policies by July 1, 2025, distribute them, and enforce consequences for violations. The bill also creates a state-approved asynchronous social media safety course and repeals the existing law allowing device use on school property, while requiring annual staff surveys and public reporting of compliance.

Who It Affects
Students in public elementary and secondary schools in Alabama, who would be restricted from using or possessing wireless devices during instructional time and would need to take the new social media safety course before 8th grade.
Local boards of education, school personnel, and state education agencies (State Department of Education and State Board of Education), who must develop, implement, enforce, monitor, and report on the new policies and courses.

Key Provisions
Prohibits use or possession of wireless communication devices in public elementary and secondary schools during the instructional day starting with the 2025-2026 school year, with exceptions for IEP/504/health plans, supervised educational use, or emergencies; devices must be turned off and stored when not in use.
Local boards of education must adopt a wireless communication device policy by July 1, 2025, include consequences for violations, and distribute the policy to students, parents, teachers, staff, and the State Board of Education.
Local boards must adopt an Internet safety policy by July 1, 2025 that limits internet access to age-appropriate materials, establishes safety procedures for electronic communications, bans unlawful data access, protects personal information, and restricts social media access to educational-directed use; the principal is responsible for ensuring compliance.
Annual anonymous surveys of certificated staff on policy implementation are required; the State Department of Education will develop a survey to assess participation and compliance, with results published on the state education website.
Adds Section 16-40-13 requiring an asynchronous, digitally delivered social media safety course developed and approved by the State Department of Education by July 1, 2025; course topics include benefits of safe social media use, mental health risks, safe practices, reporting suspicious behavior, cyberbullying, phishing, and protecting personal information; delivered to all students before 8th grade and made available to transfer students in grades 8-12.
Repeals Section 16-1-27, which previously governed the use of electronic communications devices on school property.
Effective immediately.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Education