119-hr1275

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1275 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1275

 To direct the Surgeon General to conduct a study regarding the use of 
mobile devices in elementary and secondary schools, and to establish a 
pilot program of awarding grants to enable certain schools to create a 
 school environment free of mobile devices.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 12, 2025

 Mr. Westerman (for himself, Mr. Stauber, Ms. Morrison, and Mr. Crow) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Surgeon General to conduct a study regarding the use of 
mobile devices in elementary and secondary schools, and to establish a 
pilot program of awarding grants to enable certain schools to create a 
 school environment free of mobile devices.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Focus on Learning Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``child with a disability'', 
 ``elementary school'', ``English learner'', ``local educational 
 agency'', and ``secondary school'' have the meaning given those 
 terms in 

section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

    (2) Mobile device.--The term ``mobile device'' means any 
 personal mobile telephone or other portable electronic 
 communication device with which a user engages in a call or 
 writes or sends a message or any device in which the user plays 
 a game or watches a video, except that such term does not 
 include school-issued devices.

    (3) School environment free of mobile devices.--The term 
 ``school environment free of mobile devices'' means an 
 elementary school or secondary school in which mobile devices 
 of students are kept in a secure container that is controlled 
 by a school administrator.

    (4) School hours.--The term ``school hours'' means regular 
 school hours for instruction, including lunch periods, free 
 periods on school grounds, and time between classroom 
 instruction.

SEC. 3. STUDY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Surgeon General, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, shall complete a study regarding the use of 
mobile devices in elementary schools and secondary schools nationwide, 
including--

    (1) the impact of such use on--
        (A) student learning and academic achievement;
        (B) student educational outcomes and engagement;
            (C) student mental health;
            (D) classroom instruction; and
        (E) school climate and student behavior; and

    (2) an analysis of data collected from participating 
 schools in the pilot program under 

section 4.

    (b) Report.--The Surgeon General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall submit a report to 
Congress containing the results of the study conducted under subsection

    (a) , and shall make such report publicly available.

SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Established.--The Secretary of Education, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
establish a pilot program, through which the Secretary of Education, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
award grants to local educational agencies to enable participating 
schools served by such agencies (referred to in this section as 
``participating schools'') to purchase secure containers and install 
lockers in order to create a school environment free of mobile devices.

    (b) Application.--A local educational agency desiring to 
participate in the program under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, 
including--

    (1) an assurance that such local educational agency will 
 identify and select participating schools in a manner that 
 engages the students, parents, educators, principal, school 
 leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel, of 
 such schools;

    (2) an assurance that each participating school will have a 
 communication system (which may be mobile devices) allowing 
 teachers, administrators, and staff to communicate with each 
 other and with local emergency responders;

    (3) an assurance that each participating school will have a 
 clear process for students to be able to contact their parents;

    (4) the policy of each participating school on mobile 
 device use during school hours as of the date of the 
 application; and

    (5) a description of what each participating school's new 
 policy on mobile device use during school hours will be upon 
 beginning participation in the pilot program under this 
 section.
            (c) Selection.--The Secretary of Education, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall select local 
educational agency applicants for participation in the pilot program 
based on the Secretary of Education's determination that the 
applicant's participation will likely yield helpful information 
relevant to testing a school environment free of mobile devices.
            (d) Exemptions.--Participating schools may, while maintaining a 
school environment free of mobile devices, allow exemptions such that 
mobile devices may be used during school hours--

    (1) to monitor or treat health conditions;

    (2) by students who are children with disabilities; and

    (3) by students who are English learners for translation 
 purposes.

    (e) Parental Notification.--Each local educational agency that 
applies for participation in the pilot program under this section 
shall--

    (1) notify parents of students enrolled in elementary 
 schools and secondary schools that are served by the agency and 
 that may become participating schools--
        (A) not less than 30 days before submitting an 
 application under this section; and
        (B) upon receipt of a grant award under this 
 section; and

    (2) solicit feedback from such parents before applying for 
 the grant about the local educational agency's desire to 
 implement a school environment free of mobile devices.

    (f) Administrative Expenses.--The Secretary of Education and the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services may use not more than 2 percent 
of the amounts made available to carry out this section for 
administrative expenses, data collection, and carrying out the study 
required under 

section 3.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $5,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
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