South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

S 65 — Electronic Communication Device in the Classroom

Last action — Referred to Committee on Education

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced December 11, 2024. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-63-280, RELATING TO WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES AND THE ADOPTION OF POLICIES ADDRESSING STUDENT AND EMPLOYEE POSSESSION, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF A PERSONAL WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE IN CLASSROOMS DURING PERIODS OF ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

41 added · 12 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill S 65 in South Carolina has focused on clarifying the policies regarding the use of personal wireless electronic communication devices in classrooms. The amendment explicitly prohibits the use of these devices during academic instruction periods. This change is significant as it aims to minimize distractions in the classroom, thereby enhancing the learning environment for students.

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2025-2026 Bill 65 Text of Previous Version (Dec.
11, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 65Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-63-280, RELATING TO WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES  AND THE ADOPTION OF POLICIES ADDRESSING STUDENT AND EMPLOYEE POSSESSION, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF A PERSONAL WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE IN CLASSROOMS DURING PERIODS OF ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION.
  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
  SECTION 1.  Section 59-63-280 of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      Section 59-63-280.
(A) For purposes of this section, "paging device" means a telecommunications, to include mobile telephones, device that emits an audible signal, vibrates, displays a message, or otherwise summons or delivers a communication to the possessor.
"wireless electronic communication device" means an electronic device such as a telephone, personal digital assistant, paging device, text-messaging device, watch, or any other device similar in function that can be used to wirelessly communicate with another person or a device used to listen to such wireless communication devices.
    (B) The board of trustees of each school district shall must adopt a policy that addresses student possession of paging devices wireless electronic communication devices.
as defined in subsection (A)The policy, at a minimum, must include a prohibition of the use of a personal wireless electronic communication device in classrooms during periods of academic instruction.
This policy must be included in the district's written student conduct standards.
If the policy includes confiscation of a paging device, as defined in subsection (A), it should also provide for the return of the device to the owner.
    (C) The board of trustees of each school district must adopt a policy that addresses employee use of a personal wireless electronic communication device.
The policy, at a minimum, must include a prohibition of the use of wireless electronic communication devices in classrooms during periods of academic instruction when students are present.
    (D) If the policy includes confiscation of a wireless electronic communication device, it must also provide for the return of the device to the owner.
  SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
----XX---- This web page was last updated on December 11, 2024 at 04:36 PM
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Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Education

  2. Introduced and read first time

  3. Referred to Committee on Education

  4. Prefiled

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 168 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (168)

168 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 168 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 65 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 59-63-280, RELATING TO WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICES AND THE ADOPTION OF POLICIES ADDRESSING STUDENT AND EMPLOYEE POSSESSION, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF A PERSONAL WIRELESS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION DEVICE IN CLASSROOMS DURING PERIODS OF ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION.
Who sponsors S 65?
S 65 is sponsored by Senator Greg Hembree and Senator Lawrence K. "Larry" Grooms.
What is the current status of S 65?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced December 11, 2024. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 65?
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