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IN YOUR FULL STORM TEAM EIGHT FORECAST. AND THANK YOU, IOWA STUDENTS WILL SOON FACE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON CELL PHONE USE AT SCHOOL. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SIGNED A NEW LAW TODAY. IT REQUIRES ALL K THROUGH 12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO RESTRICT CELL PHONE USE DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER IS IN STUDIO NOW. AMANDA. THIS TAKES EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SOON. STACEY AND BEN. STARTING JULY 1ST, ALL IOWA PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE THAT, AT A MINIMUM, RESTRICTS CELL PHONE USE DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME SO SCHOOLS CAN ADOPT STRICTER POLICIES IF THEY WANT TO. NOW, THIS WAS ONE OF GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TOP PRIORITIES THIS YEAR. THIS BILL RECEIVED VERY STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. I THINK IT’S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT SIMPLE, COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS THAT CAN MAKE AN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE DIFFERENCE. REYNOLDS SAYS THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE DISTRACTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND EDUCATION OF IOWA STUDENTS IN THEIR NEW PHONE POLICY, SCHOOLS WILL HAVE TO IDENTIFY HOW THEY WILL SECURELY STORE A STUDENT’S DEVICE WHEN IT’S IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DISTRICT, AND OUTLINE WHAT DISCIPLINE STUDENTS WILL FACE IF THEY USE THEIR PHONE DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. SCHOOLS ALSO HAVE TO SPECIFY HOW PARENTS CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR STUDENT DURING SCHOOL HOURS AND DURING AN EMERGENCY. REYNOLDS SIGNED THE BILL SURROUNDED BY STUDENTS WHOSE SCHOOLS HAVE ALREADY PUT LIMITS ON CELL PHONE USE. ONE HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR SAYS TWO YEARS AGO, HER SCHOOL BANNED DEVICES FROM THE START TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY, AND SHE SAYS IT’S MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. AT FIRST, I WAS KIND OF BUMMED OUT BECAUSE WE HAD IT. WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN. WE STILL COULD HAVE OUR PHONES, BUT HONESTLY, IT’S BEEN REALLY BENEFICIAL. AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE AND HAVE ONE ON ONE INTERACTIONS. WE’RE A LOT MORE ENGAGED IN CLASS AND IT’S JUST BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL OVERALL. SHE ENCOURAGED STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT THEY’LL BE OKAY ONCE THIS GOES INTO EFFECT. NOW, THE BILL DOES HAVE EXCEPTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND THOSE WITH INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS. PARENTS CAN ALSO PETITION SCHOOLS TO ALLOW THEIR CHILD TO USE THEIR PHONE FOR BEHAVIORAL OR PHYSICAL HEALTH REASONS BY TOMORROW, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS REQUIRED TO RELEASE A MODEL POLICY THAT WILL HELP GIVE SCHOOLS SOME GUIDANCE.