Bill > SB350

This bill, known as the age-appropriate school device act, establishes new rules for how schools in Kansas can use digital devices, which are defined as any electronic device used for learning that can access, process, store, or transmit data, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. For students in kindergarten through fifth grade, digital devices will not be used in the classroom, and all instruction and assessments will be print-based and hands-on. In grades six through eight, students may use shared digital devices, but schools cannot issue individual devices, and any school-owned devices must be restricted from accessing non-instructional content like social media platforms, with a daily limit of one hour of digital device use for instructional purposes only, and schools must provide media literacy instruction without using devices. For students in grades nine through twelve, schools may issue individual devices for instructional purposes, with a daily limit of one hour and 30 minutes of use during school hours and a one-hour daily limit for homework, and online textbooks can be used if no other options exist, with media literacy instruction also provided without devices. Additionally, for grades nine through twelve, schools must implement safety standards for issued devices, including screen-time tracking for parents, disabling cameras, blocking social media, and ensuring the highest privacy settings, and all personal information must be deleted before a device is reissued. Parents will have the right to opt their children out of receiving a digital device, taking one home, or using one for testing in grades nine through twelve, and students cannot face retaliation for such opt-outs. Exceptions to these rules include when a digital device is medically necessary for a student's education or health, as determined by a licensed medical professional, or for students with individualized education programs or 504 plans, and the act does not apply to virtual schools.

Budget and Finance, Education

Education (Senate)

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb350/