The Distraction-Free Schools Policy Project is a growing coalition of parents, educators, and school administrators united in calling for legislative action and policy changes to address the overuse of smartphones, social media, and digital products in our nation's schools.
Model Legislation Package
The Distraction-Free Schools Legislation Package includes four state model bills that together set a gold standard for prioritizing students' mental health, academic, and social development. The Package aims to protect students, empower educators, and ensure every classroom tool—digital or traditional—serves a single purpose: helping students learn safely and effectively.
Click here to read our Model Legislative Package, which includes the proposed language for all four bills.
Bill 1
Skills Before Screens Act
Establishes a tiered digital product introduction:
Grades PreK–5
No digital devices; all analog, with minimal exceptions.
Grades 6–8
Computer lab or shared cart model
Grades 9–12
1:1 device used intentionally
bill 2
digital Product Registry Act
Creates a public registry of approved digital products based on a statewide framework for evaluating products used by students.
Requires vendors to attest to the safety, effectiveness, and privacy compliance of their products.
Bill 3
digital Product Opt-out Act
Gives students and caregivers the right to opt out of digital products as part of their education.
Prohibits discrimination against students who opt out. Also protects teachers from being dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, or transferred for choosing to teach a class without electronic devices.
bill 4
phone-and social media-free schools act
Proposes to prohibit access to personal electronic devices in public schools, education centers, charter schools, or training programs that provide pre-kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education.
Our Legislative Wins
Here are select examples of legislation we have contributed to across multiple states to advance distraction-free schools. To see a full list of our wins and losses, click here.
We helped enact Texas’s bell-to-bell phone-free law, which requires schools to restrict student use of personal electronic devices throughout the school day.
Take The Next Step
Join hundreds of parents, advocates, educators, and legislators in advancing the mission of creating distraction-free schools where undivided student attention is valued and protected from interruptions like recommended videos, likes, and subscriptions.
There are three ways to connect:
Don't Miss Our Community of Practice Calls
All are welcome
1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month at noon ET
This is a Zoom call with advocates from across the country.
“This call is a wealth of information and our local group would be lost without the guidance of DFS!! Every week we learn something new.”—Kristen PA Unplugged