PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The bill that would end cellphone use in the classroom is moving forward at the state capitol.
House Bill 949 is now headed to the full House after the Education and Employment Committee unanimously voted in favor of it Wednesday.
WATCH: WPTV spoke to parents about proposed bill
The measure would allow students to have a wireless communications device on school property, but bans the usage of it during the school day.
WPTV’s Zitlali Solache spoke with many Palm Beach County parents on the measure.
“I would say to not use phones in classrooms," said Marilyn Santos-Suarez. “Even for us as adults, it’s distraction.”
We first told you about the bill last month. Many parents are backing the bill, but also have questions.
“I think there’s too much time on the screen,” said parent Chelsea Schuster. “It sounds like a good idea, we just want to know more about what schools are doing to make sure my kid is safe.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, bill sponsor Rep. Demi Busatta addressed emergency situations in schools, like lockdowns.
“We want to make sure they’re paying attention to the teachers who have been trained to handle situations like that and moreover, often exponential cellphone use can jam up necessary emergency lines,” said Busatta.
The bill does have exceptions for students with disabilities, medical emergencies and in the case of natural disasters.
WATCH: Florida lawmakers considering full-day cellphone ban in schools
Last month, we spoke with Martin County School District officials who’ve had the measure in place since August.
Derek Lowe, a district representative, said the change has brought a more focused learning environment.
“Now, students are actually talking to each other, especially at lunch,” said Lowe. “There's been a decrease in cyberbullying instances. It's really been a positive change all around."
