Latest news with #SB206
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH House passes bill to ban cell phones in schools
CONCORD, N.H. (ABC22/FOX44) – Officials in the New Hampshire House have voted to pass bill SB 206, which would ban the use of cell phones in school through a 'bell-to-bell' policy. This bill, as amended by the House, defines 'bell-to-bell' as 'from when the first bell rings to start instructional time until the dismissal bell rings to end the academic school day, with approved exceptions determined by the superintendent or their designee with respect to student medical, disability, or language proficiency need.' Governor Kelly Ayotte said yesterday in a statement that she is 'glad to see the House pass this today' and thanked them 'for taking action'. 'Screens are distraction for students and a barrier for teachers to do their jobs. A bell-to-bell ban on cell phones in the classroom will help kids focus on learning and let teachers do what they do best without being the phone police. I'm glad to see the House pass this today and thank them for taking action to help deliver a best-in-class education for all of New Hampshire's students.' Governor Ayotte has yet to make a final decision on the bill. If it goes into effect, SB 206 will likely take effect in time for the 2025-2026 school year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
National Association for Veterans Rights Commends Alabama for Enacting SB 206 to Protect Veterans from Predatory Practices
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The National Association for Veterans Rights (NAVR) commends the State of Alabama today for its decisive action in enacting Senate Bill 206 (SB 206), a crucial new law establishing clear safeguards for Veterans seeking assistance with their federal disability benefits. Governor Kay Ivey officially signed the bill into law, reinforcing Alabama's commitment to protecting those who served. With the enactment of SB 206, Alabama joins a growing movement of states, including Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, that have already passed similar legislation aimed at establishing transparency, accountability, and safeguards in the Veterans benefits process. 'This is another major step in the crusade to protect those who served,' said Peter O'Rourke, President of NAVR. 'By joining the ranks of other states that have taken bold action, Alabama is reinforcing a nationwide commitment to protecting Veterans from bad actors in the claims assistance space.' SB 206 establishes important guardrails that empower Veterans to make informed choices when seeking assistance with their benefits. NAVR has long championed state-level legislation that closes loopholes leaving Veterans vulnerable to exploitation. The passage of SB 206 in Alabama reflects a growing consensus that stronger consumer protections for Veterans are both necessary and overdue. 'This is about restoring trust and integrity in the system that serves our nation's heroes,' O'Rourke said. 'Governor Ivey's signature on SB 206 positions Alabama as a national leader in Veterans' protections, and reinforces a growing consensus that Veterans deserve choice, clarity, and confidence when seeking help with their earned benefits.' NAVR has led the charge nationwide to expose bad actors and support commonsense legislation that gives Veterans access to safe, qualified, and transparent services. About NAVR: The National Association for Veterans Rights (NAVR) is a national trade association committed to promoting ethical and transparent business practices among companies engaging with the service-disabled Veteran community. NAVR advocates for businesses that empower Veterans with professional and transparent solutions while advancing support for Veteran-owned businesses.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House panel endorses tougher school cellphone ban
An amended bill to institute a 'bell-to-bell' ban of cellphones in New Hampshire public schools narrowly cleared a key House committee Tuesday. Rep. Melissa Litchfield, R-Brentwood, brought forward the proposal to require that all school districts adopt policies to block cellphone use during the entire school day. Litchfield said a National Education Survey in 2024 found 83% of educators said they want cellphones to be inaccessible in public schools. 'Teachers are not asking us to become the police; they want us to pass this law,' Litchfield told colleagues on the House Education Policy and Administration Committee. 'After extremely compelling testimony from educators, parents, and students on how important it is to protect our children from cellphone use in schools, we are taking action to make sure that our schools remain places of education. We send children to school to learn, not browse Instagram and TikTok.' Rep. Loren Selig, D-Durham, said school boards should decide their own policies to fit their local needs. 'I think it is overly prescriptive and violates local control. Each district should be able to determine what their own needs are,' Selig said. The House panel approved Litchfield's amendment, 9-8, with Chairman Glenn Cordelli, R-Tuftonboro, breaking the tie. Litchfield's change would replace a more generic Senate-passed bill (SB 206) that simply requires school boards to 'develop a policy' for the use of these devices. Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford, authored the Senate bill. Milder mandate already OK'd The House and Senate have already given final approval to a more permissive bill (HB 781) on school cellphone use. That bill, which has the support of Gov. Kelly Ayotte, would require boards to adopt policies to 'restrict the use' of cellphones. Ayotte had endorsed restrictions on cellphones as a candidate for governor and called for legislation during her inaugural address in January. Litchfield's latest amendment would allow for exceptions from the ban to include students with language barriers and those with 'special needs' or disabilities if cellphone use was specified in their individualized education programs. All Democrats on the panel opposed the amendment after the committee rejected an exception for 'teacher-directed' instruction by the same 9-8 vote. 'We need to have a reasonable solution in place for instructional time,' said Rep. Megan Murray, D-Amherst. Rep. Katy Peternel, R-Wolfeboro, countered that adding the teacher-directed exception could give an advantage to children from wealthier families. 'Are we creating a wedge between the haves and the have-nots by having a teacher-directed exception, since I would assume some students don't have cellphones,' Peternel asked. Several Democratic committee members objected to a reference in Litchfield's amendment to 'personal communication device.' They argued this could prevent students from bringing their own laptop computers to school because they work faster than a Chrome Book the school district might supply. +++ What's Next: The full House of Representatives will vote on the amended bill later this month. Prospects: This significant change at such a late stage of the legislative session raises the question as to whether the Senate would agree to it. klandrigan@
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislative panel supports higher age for lottery tickets, more video lottery machines per business
The South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) A South Dakota Senate committee advanced bills Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre to raise the age for buying a lottery ticket and increase the number of video lottery machines allowed per business, while defeating a bill to raise video lottery betting limits. The Senate Commerce and Energy Committee voted 5-3 to endorse Senate Bill 203 to raise the minimum age to purchase a lottery ticket from 18 to 21. That would align with other age restrictions for gaming, drinking and purchasing tobacco products, said Sen. Michael Rohl, R-Aberdeen. The South Dakota Lottery opposed the bill, adding that less than 1% of lottery ticket sales are from adults between 18 and 21 years old. But losing those sales would cost the state roughly $860,000 annually, based on last fiscal year's sales. Lawmakers on the committee also voted 5-3 to pass Senate Bill 205, which would raise the maximum number of video lottery machines at an establishment from 10 to 15 machines. They voted 5-3 to defeat Senate Bill 206, which would double betting limits for video lottery machines. The difference, said Sen. Steve Kolbeck, R-Brandon, is between regulation and expansion. Increasing the number of machines at an establishment could increase the number of machines throughout the state. But the focus is primarily to allow 'flexibility' for business owners with multiple locations to move their machines to where they're more successful, Kolbeck said. The state and business owners split income from the video lottery machines in half, but the business owners are responsible for machine upkeep, employing staff to monitor the machines, overhead expenses and more. 'This gives them leeway to make their margin in overhead,' Kolbeck said, 'not necessarily add more machines.' The legislation to increase betting limits is an expansion, Kolbeck later said in opposition to SB 206. Representatives of gaming businesses said the increase is an inflationary adjustment, since the state's maximum betting limit hasn't increased from $2 since 1989. But lawmakers weren't convinced. SB 203 and SB 205 will head to the Senate floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
