Overview
- The House voted 99–10 to pass HB 4141, reviving a proposal that failed last summer through a rare reconsideration.
- The bill requires schools to bar smartphone use during instructional time for all grades, with elementary and middle schools also prohibiting use during breaks, lunch and recess.
- Exceptions allow use for medical needs and emergencies, and students may carry basic flip phones that lack internet access.
- The measure sets statewide minimums but lets districts adopt stricter rules, and some communities such as Ann Arbor and Lake Orion have already moved ahead locally.
- Sponsor Rep. Mark Tisdel cites student well-being and focus, and he notes both Senate support in progress and backing from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.