Bill > HB2230

This bill, known as the "Student Screen-Time Standards Act," aims to regulate the use of instructional technology and screen time for elementary school students (kindergarten through fifth grade) by requiring school districts and charter schools to adopt written policies that limit screen time, restrict the use of school-issued devices outside of school hours, and ensure access to traditional learning materials like books and hands-on manipulatives. These policies must be based on research, inform parents annually, and be published online, with parents having the right to request information about their child's technology use and to limit or eliminate it. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts and charter schools maintain a publicly accessible, searchable "financial ledger" detailing all financial transactions, updated monthly and retained for at least five years, with specific data fields required for transparency. It also establishes a "Framework on Classroom Use of Screens Council" (FOCUS Council) composed of various stakeholders, including parents, educators, and health professionals, to study and report on the impacts of screen time and technology in schools, ultimately providing recommendations for best practices and a model policy for screen time and instructional technology use.