HB 584

HB584 ENGROSSED
1 HB584
2 I3L9BZ6-2
3 By Representatives Ross, Givens, Lamb, Gidley, Holk-Jones,
4 Faulkner, Baker, Blackshear, Collins, DuBose, Smith, Colvin,
5 Paschal, Hulsey, Paramore, Robbins
6 RFD: Education Policy
7 First Read: 05-Mar-26
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5A BILL
6TO BE ENTITLED
7AN ACT
8
9Relating to screen-based instruction; to require the
10 State Board of Education to establish standards for
11 screen-based instruction in kindergarten through twelfth
12 grade; to create the Instructional Technology Task Force
13 within the State Department of Education; to require the
14 standards to reflect the recommendations of the task force;
15 and to provide certain exceptions from any prohibitions on
16 screen-use.
17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
18Section 1. (a) This act shall be known and may be cited
19 as the Alabama Balanced Instruction and Screen Use Act.
20(b) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
21(1) Early elementary years are critical for children's
22 brain development, literacy acquisition, attention formation,
23 and executive function.
24(2) Research demonstrates that children learn
25 foundation skills most effectively through direct instruction,
26 handwriting, physical texts, manipulatives, and sustained
27 interaction with teachers and peers.
28(3) Educational technology is most effective when used
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29 intentionally and in moderation and should not displace
30 evidence-based instructional practices.
31(4) It is in the best interest of Alabama's children to
32 ensure that screen-based instruction is developmentally
33 appropriate and grounded in current research.
34(5) The intent of this act is to promote balanced
35 instructional practices in kindergarten through twelfth grade
36 while preserving local flexibility and elevating educator
37 expertise.
38(6) This act shall be read in pari materia with The
39 Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, Act 2026-169,
40 2026 Regular Session.
41Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following
42 terms have the following meanings:
43(1) BOARD. The State Board of Education.
44(2) DEPARTMENT. The State Department of Education.
45(3) SCREEN-BASED INSTRUCTION. The delivery of
46 educational content primarily through digital devices,
47 including, but not limited to, a laptop, Chromebook, or
48 tablet, in lieu of direct teacher-led instruction.
49Section 3. (a) The board shall adopt standards for
50 screen-based instruction for kindergarten through    twelfth
51 grade. The standards shall include specific guidance on
52 appropriate screen-based instruction for each grade and shall
53 reflect, but not be limited to, the following requirements:
54(1) The use of screen-based instruction as
55 developmentally appropriate and supported by research.
56(2) The use of screen-based instruction only as a
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57 supplementary tool for instruction in core academic subjects
58 and may not serve as the primary mode of instruction.
59(3) Screen-based instruction may not replace explicit
60 phonics instruction, handwriting, reading of physical texts,
61 manipulative-based mathematics instruction, or teacher-led
62 discussion.
63(4) Continuous, self-paced digital coursework may not
64 be used as a substitute for teacher-directed instruction.
65(5) The scheduling of regular vision breaks guided by
66 research, which may include the requirement that students
67 follow the 20-20-20 rule. For the purposes of this
68 subdivision, the "20-20-20 rule" means that every 20 minutes,
69 students must spend at least 20 seconds looking at an object
70 at least 20 feet away.
71(6) Screen-based instruction, including work done in
72 the classroom and assigned to be completed at home, must have
73 clear educational value or involve critical thinking
74 activities, including, but not limited to, coding, immersive
75 simulations, creating multimedia projects, design, interaction
76 with experts, peer collaboration, and research.
77(7)Screen-based instruction must be compliant with
78 applicable courses of study.
79(8) Screen-based instruction must be compliant with
80 state and federal privacy and data protection laws,
81 regulations, and rules, and data governance policies adopted
82 by the State Board of Education and local boards of education.
83(9) The exceptions provided in Section 5.
84(b) Each local board of education shall adopt policies
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85 consistent with the board's standards adopted pursuant to
86 subsection (a).
87(c) The board shall annually prepare a progress report
88 relating to screen-based instruction in kindergarten through
89 twelfth grade. The report shall include, but not be limited
90 to, the use of screen-based instruction in kindergarten
91 through twelfth grade, any revisions to the screen-based
92 instruction standards, and the effect of the screen-based
93 instruction standards on students, such as the average daily
94 screen time use per student. The board shall provide a copy of
95 the progress report for the preceding academic year to the
96 Governor and the Legislature no later than October 1 of each
97 year.
98(d) The department shall oversee compliance with this
99 act and may adopt rules necessary to enforce compliance.
100Section 4. (a)(1) The Instructional Technology Task
101 Force is created within the department. The membership of the
102 task force shall be composed of the following:
103a. Each of the following, appointed by the Governor:
1041. Four classroom teachers, including two elementary
105 school teachers, one middle school teacher, and one high
106 school teacher.
1072. One parent of a public school student.
1083. One pediatric ophthalmologist or vision health
109 specialist.
110b. Two nationally recognized experts in child
111 development, pediatric digital media research, or cognitive
112 science, one of whom shall be appointed by the President Pro
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113 Tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by
114 the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
115c. Two literacy or childhood development experts, one
116 of whom shall specialize in adolescents and be appointed by
117 the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall
118 specialize in early childhood and be appointed by the Speaker
119 of the House of Representatives.
120d. One representative of the Alabama Department of
121 Education.
122e. Each of the following, appointed by the State
123 Superintendent of Education:
1241. Two principals of public schools, including one
125 principal of an elementary school and one principal of a
126 middle school or high school.
1272. One local superintendent of education.
1283. One district instructional technology director.
1294. One school curriculum and instruction specialist.
1305. One local curriculum director.
131(2) The appointing authorities shall assure the task
132 force membership is inclusive and reflects the racial, gender,
133 geographic, urban, rural, and economic diversity of the state.
134(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall call
135 the first meeting of the task force no later than June 1,
136 2026, at which time the task force shall elect a chair and a
137 vice chair. The task force may then meet as necessary to
138 conduct business.
139(b) The task force shall provide recommendations to the
140 board on the screen-based instruction standards adopted
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141 pursuant to Section 3. The duties of the task force are as
142 follows:
143(1) Review up-to-date peer-reviewed research on screen
144 use, learning, and instruction.
145(2) Establish developmentally-appropriate grade-band
146 recommendations for screen-based instruction.
147(3) Identify best practices to ensure technology
148 enhances rather than replaces direct instruction.
149(4) Develop guidelines and best practices for virtual
150 delivery of instruction, including any e-days or remote
151 learning days.
152(5) Issue written recommendations to the State Board of
153 Education no later than October 1, 2027.
154(6) Annually until 2030, review its prior
155 recommendations and, as necessary, provide updated
156 recommendations to the State Board of Education for the next
157 academic school year. Beginning in 2030, the State Department
158 of Education shall convene the task force for review of its
159 prior recommendations at the same interval as the department
160 reviews the Computer Sciences Course of Study, or its
161 successor.
162(c) The State Superintendent of Education and the State
163 Board of Education shall review any recommendations from the
164 task force. The board shall include the recommendations of the
165 task force in the standards created pursuant to Section 3.
166Section 5. This act does not apply to any of the
167 following:
168(1) Assistive technology required under an
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169 Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
170(2) State or federally required assessments.
171(3) A teacher's use of technology for instructional
172 displays or presentations.
173(4) Temporary emergency remote instruction.
174(5) Any computer science course or instruction in
175 computer science pursuant to Section 16-46B-2, Code of Alabama
176 1975.
177(6) Online high school or college courses taken by
178 public school students.
179(7) Summer school courses taken via ACCESS Virtual
180 Learning.
181(8) Teacher's intermittent use of technology for the
182 purposes of collecting rapid formative assessments to increase
183 student engagement with teacher-led instruction.
184Section 6. This act shall become effective on October
185 1, 2026.
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188House of Representatives
189 Read for the first time and referred ................05-Mar-26
190 to the House of Representatives
191 committee on Education Policy
192
193 Read for the second time and placed   ................12-Mar-26
194 on the calendar:
195  2 amendments
196
197 Read for the third time and passed    ................ 31-Mar-26
198 as amended
199Yeas 98
200Nays 0
201Abs 4
202
203
204John Treadwell
205Clerk
206
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