| 1 | 1 | | II |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION S. 404 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | To direct the Surgeon General to conduct a study regarding the use of |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | mobile devices in elementary and secondary schools, and to establish |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | a pilot program of awarding grants to enable certain schools to create |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | a school environment free of mobile devices. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | FEBRUARY5, 2025 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Mr. C |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | OTTON(for himself, Mrs. BRITT, Mr. KAINE, and Mr. KELLY) intro- |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com- |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | A BILL |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | To direct the Surgeon General to conduct a study regarding |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | the use of mobile devices in elementary and secondary |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | schools, and to establish a pilot program of awarding |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | grants to enable certain schools to create a school envi- |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | ronment free of mobile devices. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Focus on Learning 4 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Act’’. 5 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 6 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | In this Act: 7 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | •S 404 IS |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘child with a 1 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | disability’’, ‘‘elementary school’’, ‘‘English learner’’, 2 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | ‘‘local educational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary school’’ 3 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | have the meaning given those terms in section 8101 4 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 5 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 6 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (2) M |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | OBILE DEVICE.—The term ‘‘mobile de-7 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | vice’’ means any personal mobile telephone or other 8 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | portable electronic communication device with which 9 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | a user engages in a call or writes or sends a message 10 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | or any device in which the user plays a game or 11 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | watches a video, except that such term does not in-12 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | clude school-issued devices. 13 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (3) S |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | CHOOL ENVIRONMENT FREE OF MOBILE 14 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | DEVICES.—The term ‘‘school environment free of 15 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | mobile devices’’ means an elementary school or sec-16 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | ondary school in which mobile devices of students 17 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | are kept in a secure container that is controlled by 18 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | a school administrator. 19 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | (4) S |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | CHOOL HOURS.—The term ‘‘school hours’’ 20 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | means regular school hours for instruction, including 21 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | lunch periods, free periods on school grounds, and 22 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | time between classroom instruction. 23 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | •S 404 IS |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | SEC. 3. STUDY. 1 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (a) I |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | NGENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 2 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | date of enactment of this Act, the Surgeon General, in 3 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 4 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | Services, shall complete a study regarding the use of mo-5 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | bile devices in elementary schools and secondary schools 6 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | nationwide, including— 7 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | (1) the impact of such use on— 8 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | (A) student learning and academic achieve-9 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | ment; 10 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | (B) student educational outcomes and en-11 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | gagement; 12 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | (C) student mental health; 13 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | (D) classroom instruction; and 14 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | (E) school climate and student behavior; 15 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | and 16 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | (2) an analysis of data collected from partici-17 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | pating schools in the pilot program under section 4. 18 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | (b) R |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | EPORT.—The Surgeon General, in consultation 19 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 20 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | submit a report to Congress containing the results of the 21 |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | study conducted under subsection (a), and shall make 22 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | such report publicly available. 23 |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM. 24 |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | (a) P |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | ROGRAMESTABLISHED.—The Secretary of 25 |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 26 |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | •S 404 IS |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | and Human Services, shall establish a pilot program, 1 |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | through which the Secretary of Education, in consultation 2 |
|---|
| 94 | 94 | | with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 3 |
|---|
| 95 | 95 | | award grants to local educational agencies to enable par-4 |
|---|
| 96 | 96 | | ticipating schools served by such agencies (referred to in 5 |
|---|
| 97 | 97 | | this section as ‘‘participating schools’’) to purchase secure 6 |
|---|
| 98 | 98 | | containers and install lockers in order to create a school 7 |
|---|
| 99 | 99 | | environment free of mobile devices. 8 |
|---|
| 100 | 100 | | (b) A |
|---|
| 101 | 101 | | PPLICATION.—A local educational agency desir-9 |
|---|
| 102 | 102 | | ing to participate in the program under this section shall 10 |
|---|
| 103 | 103 | | submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 11 |
|---|
| 104 | 104 | | such manner, and containing such information as the Sec-12 |
|---|
| 105 | 105 | | retary may reasonably require, including— 13 |
|---|
| 106 | 106 | | (1) an assurance that such local educational 14 |
|---|
| 107 | 107 | | agency will identify and select participating schools 15 |
|---|
| 108 | 108 | | in a manner that engages the students, parents, 16 |
|---|
| 109 | 109 | | educators, principal, school leaders, and specialized 17 |
|---|
| 110 | 110 | | instructional support personnel, of such schools; 18 |
|---|
| 111 | 111 | | (2) an assurance that each participating school 19 |
|---|
| 112 | 112 | | will have a communication system (which may be 20 |
|---|
| 113 | 113 | | mobile devices) allowing teachers, administrators, 21 |
|---|
| 114 | 114 | | and staff to communicate with each other and with 22 |
|---|
| 115 | 115 | | local emergency responders; 23 |
|---|
| 116 | 116 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 117 | 117 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 |
|---|
| 118 | 118 | | •S 404 IS |
|---|
| 119 | 119 | | (3) an assurance that each participating school 1 |
|---|
| 120 | 120 | | will have a clear process for students to be able to 2 |
|---|
| 121 | 121 | | contact their parents; 3 |
|---|
| 122 | 122 | | (4) the policy of each participating school on 4 |
|---|
| 123 | 123 | | mobile device use during school hours as of the date 5 |
|---|
| 124 | 124 | | of the application; and 6 |
|---|
| 125 | 125 | | (5) a description of what each participating 7 |
|---|
| 126 | 126 | | school’s new policy on mobile device use during 8 |
|---|
| 127 | 127 | | school hours will be upon beginning participation in 9 |
|---|
| 128 | 128 | | the pilot program under this section. 10 |
|---|
| 129 | 129 | | (c) S |
|---|
| 130 | 130 | | ELECTION.—The Secretary of Education, in con-11 |
|---|
| 131 | 131 | | sultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-12 |
|---|
| 132 | 132 | | ices, shall select local educational agency applicants for 13 |
|---|
| 133 | 133 | | participation in the pilot program based on the Secretary 14 |
|---|
| 134 | 134 | | of Education’s determination that the applicant’s partici-15 |
|---|
| 135 | 135 | | pation will likely yield helpful information relevant to test-16 |
|---|
| 136 | 136 | | ing a school environment free of mobile devices. 17 |
|---|
| 137 | 137 | | (d) E |
|---|
| 138 | 138 | | XEMPTIONS.—Participating schools may, while 18 |
|---|
| 139 | 139 | | maintaining a school environment free of mobile devices, 19 |
|---|
| 140 | 140 | | allow exemptions such that mobile devices may be used 20 |
|---|
| 141 | 141 | | during school hours— 21 |
|---|
| 142 | 142 | | (1) to monitor or treat health conditions; 22 |
|---|
| 143 | 143 | | (2) by students who are children with disabil-23 |
|---|
| 144 | 144 | | ities; and 24 |
|---|
| 145 | 145 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 146 | 146 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 6 |
|---|
| 147 | 147 | | •S 404 IS |
|---|
| 148 | 148 | | (3) by students who are English learners for 1 |
|---|
| 149 | 149 | | translation purposes. 2 |
|---|
| 150 | 150 | | (e) P |
|---|
| 151 | 151 | | ARENTALNOTIFICATION.—Each local edu-3 |
|---|
| 152 | 152 | | cational agency that applies for participation in the pilot 4 |
|---|
| 153 | 153 | | program under this section shall— 5 |
|---|
| 154 | 154 | | (1) notify parents of students enrolled in ele-6 |
|---|
| 155 | 155 | | mentary schools and secondary schools that are 7 |
|---|
| 156 | 156 | | served by the agency and that may become partici-8 |
|---|
| 157 | 157 | | pating schools— 9 |
|---|
| 158 | 158 | | (A) not less than 30 days before submit-10 |
|---|
| 159 | 159 | | ting an application under this section; and 11 |
|---|
| 160 | 160 | | (B) upon receipt of a grant award under 12 |
|---|
| 161 | 161 | | this section; and 13 |
|---|
| 162 | 162 | | (2) solicit feedback from such parents before 14 |
|---|
| 163 | 163 | | applying for the grant about the local educational 15 |
|---|
| 164 | 164 | | agency’s desire to implement a school environment 16 |
|---|
| 165 | 165 | | free of mobile devices. 17 |
|---|
| 166 | 166 | | (f) A |
|---|
| 167 | 167 | | DMINISTRATIVEEXPENSES.—The Secretary of 18 |
|---|
| 168 | 168 | | Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-19 |
|---|
| 169 | 169 | | ices may use not more than 2 percent of the amounts 20 |
|---|
| 170 | 170 | | made available to carry out this section for administrative 21 |
|---|
| 171 | 171 | | expenses, data collection, and carrying out the study re-22 |
|---|
| 172 | 172 | | quired under section 3. 23 |
|---|
| 173 | 173 | | (g) A |
|---|
| 174 | 174 | | UTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 24 |
|---|
| 175 | 175 | | are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 25 |
|---|
| 176 | 176 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 177 | 177 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 7 |
|---|
| 178 | 178 | | •S 404 IS |
|---|
| 179 | 179 | | $5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 1 |
|---|
| 180 | 180 | | 2029. 2 |
|---|
| 181 | 181 | | Æ |
|---|
| 182 | 182 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:22 Mar 04, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S404.IS S404 |
|---|
| 183 | 183 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB |
|---|