Fabio
135 lines
9.0 KiB
Markdown
135 lines
9.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: "Bill"
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title: "Public elementary & secondary schools; bell-to-bell student cell phone & smart device possession."
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description: "Public elementary and secondary schools; student cell phone possession and use policies; development and implementation. Directs each school board to develop and each public elementary and secondary school to implement policies relating to the possession and use of cell phones and smart devices by students on school property from bell to bell, as defined in the law, and requires such policies, among other things, to (i) restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell and (ii) permit any student, pursuant to an Individualized Education Plan, Section 504 Plan, individualized health care plan, or Limited English Proficiency plan, to possess and use a cell phone or smart device on school property, including in the classroom, from bell to bell to monitor or address a health concern or as an accommodation or assistive technology support. This bill is identical to HB 1961."
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jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
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legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
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session: "2025"
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identifier: "SB 738"
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citation: "Virginia SB 738 (2025)"
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classification: ["bill"]
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subjects: []
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status: "enacted"
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primary_sponsors: ["Stella G. Pekarsky"]
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version_count: 10
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action_count: 55
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vote_count: 11
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first_action: "2024-09-18"
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last_action: "2025-04-02"
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source: "openstates"
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source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0db811bc-c59d-46b9-891d-0a8b243c405a"
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source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB738"
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source_hash: "cd219dc5c4f03bfce7ecdab6cccc736708f58bedc4c06fb8983aed3c78ef6165"
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vintage: "2026-07-01"
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source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
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retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
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confidence: "reported"
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tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
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---
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# Virginia SB 738 (2025) — Public elementary & secondary schools; bell-to-bell student cell phone & smart device possession.
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Public elementary and secondary schools; student cell phone possession and use policies; development and implementation. Directs each school board to develop and each public elementary and secondary school to implement policies relating to the possession and use of cell phones and smart devices by students on school property from bell to bell, as defined in the law, and requires such policies, among other things, to (i) restrict student cell phone and smart device possession and use on school property from bell to bell and (ii) permit any student, pursuant to an Individualized Education Plan, Section 504 Plan, individualized health care plan, or Limited English Proficiency plan, to possess and use a cell phone or smart device on school property, including in the classroom, from bell to bell to monitor or address a health concern or as an accommodation or assistive technology support. This bill is identical to HB 1961.
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## Version chain
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The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
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1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1010119.PDF)
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2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1079095.PDF)
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3. **Conference Report** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064889.HTML)
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4. **Conference Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064906.PDF)
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5. **Education Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1042330.PDF)
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6. **Education and Health Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1021928.PDF)
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7. **Governor Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074688.PDF)
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8. **Governor's Recommendation** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1074206.HTML)
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9. **Reenrolled** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1075426.PDF)
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10. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068932.PDF)
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## Votes
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- Senate acceded to request (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
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- Passed House with substitute (67-Y 28-N) — **67–28** (pass) · lower
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- Reported from Education and Health with substitute (9-Y 6-N) — **9–6** (pass) · upper
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- Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N) — **21–18** (pass) · upper
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- House concurred in Governor's recommendation (91-Y 2-N) — **91–2** (pass) · lower
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- Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N) — **21–18** (pass) · upper
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- Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) — **40–0** (pass) · upper
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- Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 6-N) — **14–6** (pass) · lower
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- Conference report agreed to by House (73-Y 23-N) — **73–23** (pass) · lower
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- House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 37-N) — **0–37** (fail) · upper
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- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (37-Y 0-N) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
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## Sponsors
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- Stella G. Pekarsky — primary (person)
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- Ghazala F. Hashmi — cosponsor (person)
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- Lamont Bagby — cosponsor (person)
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- Lashrecse D. Aird — cosponsor (person)
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- Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — cosponsor (person)
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## Timeline
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The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
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- **2024-09-18** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25100096D `filing, introduction`
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- **2024-09-18** Referred to Committee on Education and Health `referral-committee`
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- **2025-01-16** Assigned Education sub: Public Education `referral-committee`
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- **2025-01-23** Committee substitute printed 25105124D-S1 `substitution`
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- **2025-01-23** Reported from Education and Health with substitute (9-Y 6-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2025-01-24** Rules suspended
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- **2025-01-24** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (37-Y 0-N)
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- **2025-01-24** Passed by for the day
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- **2025-01-27** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB738)
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- **2025-01-27** Read second time `reading-2`
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- **2025-01-27** Reading of substitute waived
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- **2025-01-27** Education and Health Substitute agreed to
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- **2025-01-27** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute `substitution`
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- **2025-01-28** Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N) `passage, reading-3`
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- **2025-02-03** Read first time `reading-1`
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- **2025-02-03** Placed on Calendar
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- **2025-02-03** Referred to Committee on Education `referral-committee`
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- **2025-02-05** Committee substitute printed 25106766D-H1 `substitution`
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- **2025-02-05** Reported from Education with substitute (14-Y 6-N) `committee-passage`
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- **2025-02-06** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB738)
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- **2025-02-07** Read second time `reading-2`
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- **2025-02-10** Read third time `reading-3`
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- **2025-02-10** Education Substitute agreed to
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- **2025-02-10** Engrossed by House - committee substitute `substitution`
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- **2025-02-10** Passed House with substitute (67-Y 28-N) `passage`
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- **2025-02-12** House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 37-N)
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- **2025-02-13** House insisted on substitute `substitution`
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- **2025-02-13** House requested conference committee `referral-committee`
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- **2025-02-17** Senate acceded to request (39-Y 0-N)
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- **2025-02-17** Conferees appointed by Senate
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- **2025-02-17** Senators: Pekarsky, Hashmi, Pillion
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- **2025-02-18** Conferees appointed by House
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- **2025-02-18** Delegates: Rasoul, Cousins, Green
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- **2025-02-20** Amended by conference committee
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- **2025-02-20** Conference substitute printed 25107823D-S2
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- **2025-02-21** Conference report agreed to by House (73-Y 23-N) `committee-passage-favorable`
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- **2025-02-21** Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N) `committee-passage-favorable`
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- **2025-03-07** Enrolled `enrolled`
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- **2025-03-07** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB738ER) `passage`
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- **2025-03-07** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB738)
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- **2025-03-07** Signed by Speaker `passage`
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- **2025-03-10** Signed by President `passage`
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- **2025-03-11** Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 `enrolled`
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- **2025-03-11** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 `executive-receipt`
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- **2025-03-24** Governor's recommendation received by Senate `executive-veto-line-item`
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- **2025-03-24** Governor's substitute printed (SB738S3)
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- **2025-04-02** Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)
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- **2025-04-02** House concurred in Governor's recommendation (91-Y 2-N)
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- **2025-04-02** Governor's recommendation adopted `executive-signature`
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- **2025-04-02** Reenrolled `enrolled`
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- **2025-04-02** Reenrolled bill text (SB738ER2) `enrolled`
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- **2025-04-02** Signed by President as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
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- **2025-04-02** Signed by Speaker as reenrolled `enrolled, passage`
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- **2025-04-02** Enacted, Chapter 606 (Effective 07/01/2025) `became-law`
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- **2025-04-02** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0606)
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## Source
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OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0db811bc-c59d-46b9-891d-0a8b243c405a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).
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