Senate Bill 198

Note: Senate Bill 198 was reported out of the Senate Education Committee without a recommendation on February 10. This means that the committee couldn't agree on a disposition for the bill, but still elected to have the full Senate hear it.

Background: Senate Bill 198 would restrict the use of a cell phone by a student during instructional time.

Our Stance: The ACLU of South Dakota opposes Senate Bill 198.

The Supreme Court has held that neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate. Students produce, share, and store sensitive information on their devices--sometimes including information about their parents, siblings, or friends. No one should be expected to hand over their devices without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.