Overview
- Lawmakers in 16 states have introduced bills this year to restrict education technology use in public schools.
- Proposals include banning school-issued devices and email for younger students and capping daily screen time for older grades, with supporters citing testimony about distraction, exposure to explicit content, and cyberbullying.
- Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont measures would add formal vetting of school software, while Utah and Tennessee bills propose filters that block all websites until districts approve them individually.
- Alabama has already enacted the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, signed March 3, to set kindergarten screen-use guidelines.
- Trade groups representing school tech leaders and software makers are lobbying against broad limits, as pediatric experts emphasize benefits from moderate, well-designed tools and risks from heavy, distracting media.