WILKES-BARRE – A bill introduced this week by Senator Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) to improve students’ mental health and academic success by limiting their cellphone use in school passed the Senate Education Committee by a vote of 10-1, potentially allowing it to be included in the final 2024-25 state budget.
Senate Bill 1207 would require the use of secure, lockable phone bags in which students could store their mobile devices until the end of the school day.
“Student cell phone use in school is a major problem, not only when it comes to distractions in the classroom, reduced student attention spans, and declining academic performance – it also negatively impacts their mental health and social skills,” said Aument. “The data is clear and has confirmed what parents, teachers, and school administrators are experiencing in the classroom.”
Aument said the Derry Township School District Board of Education has stated that smartphone use “can create a social, intellectual and emotional barrier and can hinder full classroom attendance and disrupt the educational process.”
Sherri Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, said cell phones in schools are the cause of many of the problems facing our schools and our teachers in the classroom.
“Being constantly ‘available’ to students hinders the development of collaborative relationships, not to mention distracts their attention from the classroom,” Smith said.
In addition, more than 200 Pennsylvania residents have so far responded to a petition circulated by Aument asking for support for his efforts to limit students’ cell phone use during class time.
According to 2023 data from the Pew Research Center, teens spend an average of three and a half hours a day on social media. Teens report feeling overwhelmed by the drama on social media and feeling worse about their own lives as a result of using this media.
Studies show that teens are also less able to cope with the negative effects of social media use because they get less sleep – another result of increased cell phone use. And studies also show that accessing and using mobile devices before bedtime significantly affects sleep quality and quantity.
“Young adults are spending more time on social media and their smartphones, and that’s putting a strain on them mentally, emotionally and academically,” Aument said. “Cellphone restrictions have proven successful in reversing these trends, so I’m grateful for the support my bill has received and look forward to its continued development.”
The bill will now go to the full Senate for consideration, and Aument hopes for quick passage so that the funds provided by the pilot program can be offered to schools at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
Meuser supports homeland Draft law on security permits
Republican U.S. Representative Dan Meuser of Dallas sponsored bill HR 8752 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2025), which allocates $64.81 billion to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Legislative priorities include improving national security, securing our southern border, deporting dangerous criminals, and supporting American values and principles.
This bill strengthens border security by investing $600 million to build a barrier on the southern border, increasing the number of Border Patrol Agents, and making important investments in border security technology.
Meuser said that in the face of rising illegal immigration, this bill strengthens detention capacity through increased investment in detention and removal operations. He said it also strengthens the Coast Guard by providing funding to improve its operations to combat migrant and drug activity in the Caribbean Basin and Eastern Pacific.
Meuser said the bill focuses DHS on its core missions, rejects equity action plans and critical race theory, while cutting costs on electric vehicles and headquarters consolidation. He said it excludes funding for services for illegal immigrants and eliminates duplicate offices. Finally, it supports American values by protecting free speech.
“This bill is a critical investment in our national security and strengthens our ability to protect our borders and communities from domestic and foreign threats,” Meuser said. “By strengthening the capabilities of Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, this bill strengthens our defenses and improves our readiness to meet emerging challenges. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to support this bill as it underscores our commitment to protecting citizens, upholding our values, and preserving the freedoms that define our country.”
The Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 212 to 203 and was forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.
Lieutenant Governor Davis calls for investments in strategies to prevent gun violence
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined state and local politicians, law enforcement officials, victim advocates and community-based organizations in a roundtable discussion in Harrisburg this week to highlight strategies that work — Pennsylvania experienced the second-largest decline in gun murders in the country last year — and called for additional investments to reduce violence and make communities safer.
“Pennsylvanians have a right to be safe and feel safe no matter what they look like or where they live, but that sense of safety has been shattered for many people in Harrisburg and surrounding communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Davis. “The Shapiro-Davis administration is taking a holistic approach to combating the epidemic of gun violence, and the strategies we are funding – supporting law enforcement as well as community-based organizations that help prevent violence – are beginning to show results. There is still much work to be done, but we should celebrate progress.”
In February, Governor Josh Shapiro proposed a state budget that invests $100 million to combat and prevent gun violence in Pennsylvania communities. The Shapiro-Davis budget includes an $11.5 million investment to create a statewide program to build opportunities through out-of-school time, a $1 million investment to establish and staff an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), and $1 million funding for a Firearm Injury Prevention Program within the Department of Health.
The budget also includes a $37.5 million increase to PCCD’s Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program. The VIP program supports a wide range of violence reduction models and relies on local groups that are in tune with their communities.
Although gun violence remains unacceptably high, several Pennsylvania communities that use evidence-based, community-based strategies are seeing improvements.
According to a report by the Center for American Progress, Philadelphia has seen the largest decline in gun violence per capita this year compared to the country’s largest cities.
AG Henry’s “teenTALK” report, highlights Effects of gun violence on young people
Following her recent roundtable discussions with students from several counties across the Commonwealth, Attorney General Michelle Henry released a “teenTALK” report on the impact of gun violence on teens.
AG Henry visited four school districts – Philadelphia, McKeesport, Hazleton and Steelton-Highspire – during the 2023-24 school year to have open conversations with students about how gun violence affects their mental health and what changes could make them feel safer.
The teenTALK report is offered to Pennsylvania schools and communities as a tool to advance initiatives and strategies that promote student learning, safety and community engagement.
“This report summarizes the lessons we’ve learned from honest conversations with future leaders who want to see change and play a role in making that change a reality in their neighborhoods,” said AG Henry. “Until every student can grow up free from the scourge of gun violence, we must continue to identify and eradicate harmful behaviors while offering support resources to help students succeed.”
During the roundtable discussions, students talked about how they experience and perceive gun violence and other violent acts in their communities. Some students spoke about their own experiences with losing family members and other loved ones, and many expressed frustration at having to adapt to gun violence as an all-too-common event in their lives.
The students identified the following priority areas for improvement:
• Better communication and more trust between school management and students so that the unknown does not make it difficult to deal with the situation.
• In order to provide adequate support to students, additional psychosocial services are required.
• Funding and resources for programs such as social-emotional learning and conflict resolution/peer mediation should be prioritized.
This teenTALK report is published after the end of the school year so that school leaders and teachers have time to review strategies and adapt them if necessary.
