Statewide Legislation
H.480
BREAKING NEWS, June 16th, 9PM: The final vote of the 2025 legislative session was the House approving H.480, the Misc. Education bill which includes the Phone and Social Media-Free Schools legislation. It was a nearly unanimous voice vote. Thank you to all the legislators who made this happen, to all the grassroots supporters, and to the bold schools who adopted the policy already so that we could learn from you.
This will help ALL Vermont students experience stronger academic focus, increased social cohesion, and improved mental health. Next step: To Gov. Scott for a signature he's indicated he's eager to give!
Based on best practice
Phone and Social Media Free Schools bill:
The Briefing Document is an excellent overview.
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H.480 text -- scroll to page 15 where it lists:
§ 583. STUDENT USE OF CELL PHONES AND PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN SCHOOLS
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H.480 was passed by a unanimous voice vote in the VT Senate on Tues. 5/27/25 and appeared for noticed in the VT House on 5/28 and for action (vote) on 5/28 and 5/29 but disappointingly they did not take it up for discussion or vote. It's fate is unknown. It is on the House Action Calendar for June 16 when the legislature returns for a final day of the session. Stay tuned!
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H.54 text (version 5.1 updated 5/9/25)
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The Senate Education Committee has testimony scheduled this week (May 13th and 14th). Find a link to their agenda and a link to a Livestream of their meetings here.
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The text of the bill is inspired directly from the model set out by Jonathan Haidt, author of the 2024 best-selling book, The Anxious Generation.
The bill requires schools to create a phone-free school day, that prohibits students from using their cell phone or other personal devices (Smartwatches, AirPods, etc.) for the duration of the school day.
A second provision says schools must find other avenues to communicate with students than social media. Email and other apps work well for clubs and sports teams to coordinate.
Bipartisan support!
This bill bridges the political divide. Lead sponsors Rep. Aresenault (D) and Sen. Williams (R) model how we can all unite for what is best for our kids.
The 59 total co-sponsors draw pretty equally from both sides of the aisle.
