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Senate committee hears bill to limit mandatory screen time in early grades
Summary
SB 11 28 would let parents opt out of mandatory screen‑based instruction for kindergarten and first grade and asks districts to consider age‑appropriate limits; author urged caution and committee members sought clearer definitions and phased guidance.
Sen. Stern presented SB 11 28, which proposes to give parents the option to opt out of screen‑based instruction for very young students and asks districts to adopt developmentally appropriate limits on mandatory screen exposure in pre‑K, kindergarten and first grade. He cited recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and district policy changes in Los Angeles Unified as motivation.
The author said the bill is not intended to ban educational technology outright but to encourage age‑appropriate use and district experimentation. Committee members supported work on the kindergarten provisions but urged refined definitions — particularly the statutory definition of "electronic device" — and clarification of when device use can legitimately support instruction without causing cognitive harm.
Senators noted the difficulty of disentangling 'screen' from the content delivered and encouraged the author to work with digital‑technology and education committees to refine the bill before floor action. The committee moved the measure to appropriations with broad support from members and offers to collaborate on technical language.
