Focus on Learning Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8993 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8993

 To direct the Secretary of Education 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

                             July 10, 2024

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Education 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 Secretary of Education, 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 Secretary of Education, 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 shall 
establish a pilot program, through which the Secretary of Education 
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 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 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 2024 through 2028.
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