Madison Reporter

A new bill authored by State Rep. Kitchens in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to restrict wireless communication device use during instructional time to support focused learning environments, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "requiring school boards to adopt policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that by July 1, 2026, school boards must establish policies prohibiting the use of wireless communication devices, such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, and gaming devices, during instructional time. Exceptions to this prohibition include situations involving emergencies or perceived threats, health care management, use included in a student's individualized education program or 504 plan, and teacher-authorized educational purposes. School boards may incorporate additional exceptions if they are deemed beneficial for student education or well-being. The policy may also specify consequences for violations, like confiscating the device for the rest of the school day.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Bob G. Donovan (Republican-61st District), Representative Chanz J. Green (Republican-74th District), Representative Brent Jacobson (Republican-87th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Dan Feyen (Republican-20th District), along five other co-sponsors.

Kitches graduated from Ohio State University in 1979 with a BS.

Kitchens, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2015 to represent the state's 1st Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Garey Bies.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
AB2	02/03/2025	Requiring school boards to adopt policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time