Official sources · Selected watchlist

What may change next?

Follow actual legislative and board steps on technology limits and technology education. A proposal, an adopted policy and an implementation date are different things.

Each entry shows its own status-check date. See the update log for completed reviews; this is not a real-time feed or a prediction of passage. Federal, state and district proposal coverage is incomplete. Failed, withdrawn and superseded measures do not belong in the active list.

11 selected proposals or reviews shown. Federal proposals remain visible when the level filter includes them. Implementation dates below are filtered by state; topic, level and stage apply to proposals above.

Federal · United States · Introduction announced

UNPLUGGED Schools Grant Act of 2026

Would fund state policies restricting student possession or use of personal electronic devices during school hours. Eligible policies would cover public elementary and secondary schools, include health and disability exceptions, and be developed with district and community input. School-authorized instructional laptops and tablets meeting specified safeguards are excluded.

Latest documented step
2026-10-01 · Sponsors announced introduction; posted text has no bill number or committee assignment.
Grades
Public elementary and secondary schools in participating states.
Next documented step
Confirm the numbered Congressional record and committee action. No hearing or vote date is verified.
Adoption timing
No passage, funding or implementation date established.

A proposed grant program, not an enacted national phone ban. October 1 is the announcement date, not a verified filing date.

Official source · Official bill textChecked 2026-10-05

State · North Carolina · Filed / committee

SB 948 · Screen Free Schools Act

Would prohibit most K–5 classroom device use, limit daily device time in grades 6–12 and restrict individually assigned or take-home school devices by grade band.

Latest documented step
2026-05-04 · Pending · Senate Appropriations/Base Budget
Grades
Grade-specific; see proposed text
Next documented step
No hearing or vote date verified. Further committee action would be needed.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. The next procedural step is not a prediction of passage.

An active bill is not an enacted requirement. Companion bills are grouped, not double-counted.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · New York · Filed / committee

S10133 / A9190 · AI before ninth grade

Would prohibit most classroom AI use before ninth grade.

Latest documented step
2026-04-30 · Pending · Senate Education
Grades
K–8
Next documented step
No hearing or vote date verified. Further committee action would be needed.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. The next procedural step is not a prediction of passage.

An active bill is not an enacted requirement. Companion bills are grouped, not double-counted.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · New York · Filed / committee

S10685 / A11669 · FOCUS Act

Would create grade-based limits on school-issued devices, prioritize non-digital instruction and restrict generative AI and distracting services on school devices.

Latest documented step
2026-08-21 · Pending · Senate Rules
Grades
Grade-specific; see proposed text
Next documented step
No hearing or vote date verified. Further committee action would be needed.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. The next procedural step is not a prediction of passage.

An active bill is not an enacted requirement. Companion bills are grouped, not double-counted.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · New York · Filed / committee

S7892A / A7029 · AI curriculum consideration

Would require recommendations on incorporating AI literacy and a Regents decision; it does not itself guarantee compulsory instruction.

Latest documented step
2026-01-07 · Referred to Senate Education
Grades
Elementary through high school
Next documented step
No hearing or vote date verified.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. The next procedural step is not a prediction of passage.

Uses active amendment A; a curriculum consideration duty is not a student instruction mandate.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · New York · Filed / committee

S8202 / A5689 · CS graduation requirement

Would create a computer science course requirement for high-school graduation.

Latest documented step
2026-01-07 · Referred to Senate Education
Grades
High school
Next documented step
No hearing or vote date verified.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. The next procedural step is not a prediction of passage.

Proposed graduation requirement; not current law.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

District · Portland Public Schools (Oregon) · Discussion / review

Instructional screen and device policy draft

Committee agenda includes an advocacy-origin digital-device and screen-use draft for discussion.

Latest documented step
2026-09-22 · Draft listed for policy-committee discussion
Grades
Grade-specific draft
Next documented step
Further committee review; no board adoption vote date verified.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. The next procedural step is not a prediction of passage.

Discussion item, not an adopted district restriction. Outside the fixed 35-system historical panel; not added to its totals.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

District · Fairfax County Public Schools · Discussion / review

Educational Technology Review Committee

Further recommendations cover device access, purposeful use and student AI; existing adopted limits are counted separately.

Latest documented step
2026-09-30 · Committee agenda addresses device access and screen-use recommendations
Grades
Pre-K through high school; proposals vary
Next documented step
Committee meeting October 21; interim recommendations due October 31; board submission deadline November 12, 2026. Committee meeting, not adoption vote
Adoption timing
Recommendations go to the board by November 12, 2026. This is a submission deadline, not a guaranteed adoption date.

Published process and deadlines do not establish whether any further restriction will pass.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · Kansas · Discussion / review

Instructional technology policy · State Board draft

Draft would address student technology access, take-home use, digital citizenship, AI and local technology policies. This is broader governance work, not an adopted statewide ban.

Latest documented step
2026-09-10 · KSDE reports September board discussion; final action remains ahead
Grades
Elementary and secondary education
Next documented step
KSDE anticipated action in October or November. The next regular board meeting is October 13–14; an adoption vote on this item is not verified. Regular board meeting; no item-specific vote verified
Adoption timing
Agency-stated window: October–November 2026. A vote or passage is not confirmed.

Timing is the agency’s stated expectation. Neither the meeting date nor draft language establishes passage.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · Massachusetts · Conference committee

S.2581 / H.5366 (2026)

A proposed statewide school cellphone policy remains in the legislative process; it is not counted as an enacted restriction.

Latest documented step
2026-05-20 · House insisted on its amendment and appointed a conference committee.
Grades
All K-12
Next documented step
Conference agreement and further chamber action would be needed; no decision date verified.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. Proposed deadlines remain contingent on enactment.

Proposal only. A pending legislative step is not an enacted rule or evidence that no other policy exists.

Official sourceChecked 2026-10-05

State · Pennsylvania · House committee after amendment

SB 1014 (2025–26), PN 1697

Would require local policies restricting school-day personal-device use by the start of 2027–28. The amended proposal remains in the House; it is not an enacted requirement.

Latest documented step
2026-05-06 · House second consideration with amendments; re-referred to Appropriations.
Grades
All K-12
Next documented step
Further House action would be needed; no hearing or vote date verified.
Adoption timing
No defensible adoption date available. Proposed deadlines remain contingent on enactment.

Proposal only. A pending legislative step is not an enacted rule or evidence that no other policy exists.

Official source · Official bill textChecked 2026-10-05

Already adopted: implementation ahead

These measures have passed or been formally announced. They are separate from pending proposals.

Illinois · Public Act 104-0657 (SB 2427)

Required · All K-12

Law effective July 28, 2026; general school implementation deadline is 2027–28. Qualifying pre-existing policies may continue through 2030–31.

Dates, affected grades and source

Georgia · HB 1009 — high-school device restrictions

Required · 9-12

Grades 9–12 by July 1, 2027; existing K–8 restrictions continue.

Dates, affected grades and source

Los Angeles Unified School District · Student screen-time and device guidance — Grades 2–3

Guidance / support · Grades 2–3

Starts November 2026. Limits include homework; consult district guidance for instructional exemptions and opt-in/opt-out conditions.

Dates, affected grades and source

Los Angeles Unified School District · Student screen-time and device guidance — Grades 4–5

Guidance / support · Grades 4–5

Starts November 2026. Limits include homework; consult district guidance for instructional exemptions and opt-in/opt-out conditions.

Dates, affected grades and source

Los Angeles Unified School District · Student screen-time and device guidance — Grades 6–8

Guidance / support · Grades 6–8

Starts January 2027. Limits include homework; consult district guidance for instructional exemptions and opt-in/opt-out conditions.

Dates, affected grades and source

Los Angeles Unified School District · Student screen-time and device guidance — Grades 9–12

Guidance / support · Grades 9–12

Starts January 2027. Limits include homework; consult district guidance for instructional exemptions and opt-in/opt-out conditions.

Dates, affected grades and source

Ohio · HB 455 — amended phone-policy publication provisions

Required with local discretion · All K-12

Effective October 9, 2026. This is a posting/date-reference amendment, not a new statewide ban.

Dates, affected grades and source

Alabama · Act 2026-169 · Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act

Required with local discretion · Public kindergarten; covered pre-K and childcare

Covered programs must implement screen-time policies from January 1, 2027.

Dates, affected grades and source

California · SB 1128 · School-issued electronic devices

Required with local discretion · Transitional kindergarten and kindergarten take-home devices

The take-home-device requirement starts in the 2027–28 school year, according to the Senate’s post-enactment summary. The separate legal effective day is not verified here.

Dates, affected grades and source

Seattle Public Schools · K–2 school-device shift

Required with local discretion · K–2

The district letter and FAQ give January 4, 2027 for shared classroom devices. A Key Takeaways bullet instead says January 1; confirm the precise start with the district. The change remains upcoming.

Dates, affected grades and source

Upcoming instruction and course-access requirements

Illinois · Public Act 104-0391 — online safety and media literacy

Student instruction required

Act effective August 15, 2025; revised instruction begins in the 2027–28 school year.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Idaho · Digital-literacy graduation credit with required CS content

Student instruction required

Rule effective July 1, 2025; one-credit requirement applies to students graduating after January 1, 2028.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

West Virginia · HB 2411 / W. Va. Code §18-2-9

Student instruction required

Beginning with grade 9 entrants in 2027–28, one full CS credit is required. May be completed in grades 8–12; approved courses and Policy 2510 implementation are governed by WVDE/WVBE guidance.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Indiana · Computer science graduation requirement

Student instruction required

First graduating cohort: class of 2029. This does not apply to all current graduating students.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Tennessee · Computer science credit for the traditional diploma

Student instruction required

Incoming freshmen from fall 2024; first graduating cohort is the class of 2028.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Nebraska · Computer science and technology graduation credit

Student instruction required

Graduation requirement begins in academic year 2027–28.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Rhode Island · Computer science proficiency for graduation

Student instruction required

Applies beginning with the graduating class of 2028.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Alabama · Act 2026-507 · CS graduation requirement

Student instruction required

Law effective October 1, 2026; graduation provision begins with class of 2032. Detailed approved coursework and embedded-standards guidance is to follow.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Michigan · Public Act 206 of 2024 · Future CS course offering

Course offering required

Signed in January 2025; school offering duty begins in 2027–28. Exact legal commencement day is not established here.

Grades, cohorts, dates and source

Upcoming curriculum standards and course alignment

These are curriculum-development duties; they do not by themselves establish that every pupil must take a separate course.

North Carolina · S.L. 2026-41 — Safe and Responsible AI in Schools

Curriculum standards required

Revised K–12 CS standards and aligned approved-course lists: 2028–29.

Scope and source

Maryland · AI Ready Schools Act — AI literacy standards

Standards development duty

Standards deadline: June 1, 2027.

Scope and source

What counts as movement?

For federal and state bills: filing, committee action, passage in each chamber and signature are recorded separately. For districts: a published draft, committee discussion, first reading and scheduled board vote are distinct steps. A public campaign alone is a lead, not a formal policy proposal.

Next dates describe the actual event—meeting, deadline or implementation—not an assumed adoption date. Companion bills and successive drafts are one policy family. A changed classification should follow a dated official action.

Download proposal records · Coverage and research plan