Senate approves bill cracking down on social media and cell phones in schools

Amber Jo Cooper contributed to this report.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – The Florida Senate unanimously approved a bill restricting social media use in schools Tuesday.

The Senate approved the bill 39-0 with an amendment, sending it back to the House, which had previously approved the bill 110-0.

The bill will restrict access to social media websites on school district networks and district owned devices.

It will also ban TikTok on district-owned devices or “as a platform used to communicate or promote any district school, school-sponsored club, extracurricular organization, or athletic team.”

Rep. Brad Yeager, R-New Port Richey, and Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, carried the bills.

Teachers are also given the authority to designate an area for wireless communications devices during instructional time, and prohibit the use of wireless devices during instructional time.

The bill requires a district school board to ban any device used by a student from accessing a website, application, or software that does not have an internet safety policy.

The safety policy must address access by minors to inappropriate content and restricting access to such content, safety and security of minors using district electronic communications, unauthorized access by minors to data or information, and unauthorized disclosure, use, or dissemination of a minors’ personal information.

The Senate’s approved amendment would require students in grades six through 12 learn the social, emotional, and physical effects of social media. They would also learn how to maintain personal security, how to protect from predatory behavior, and human trafficking.

Under the amendment, classroom rules of conduct would be established for a designated area where students can engage in online lessons.

Additionally, students in grades six through 12 must receive instruction on the social, emotional, and physical effects of social media.

The instruction must include information on the negative effects of social media on mental health, how to maintain personal security and identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior, human trafficking, how to report suspicious behavior online, and more.

The Department of Education must make the instructional materials used to provide this instruction available online and a district school board must notify parents of the material’s availability.

The bill has an effective date of July 1.