Read the full stored bill text
HB584 ENGROSSED
Page 0
HB584
I3L9BZ6-2
By Representatives Ross, Givens, Lamb, Gidley, Holk-Jones,
Faulkner, Baker, Blackshear, Collins, DuBose, Smith, Colvin,
Paschal, Hulsey, Paramore, Robbins
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 05-Mar-26
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
HB584 Engrossed
Page 1
First Read: 05-Mar-26
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to screen-based instruction; to require the
State Board of Education to establish standards for
screen-based instruction in kindergarten through twelfth
grade; to create the Instructional Technology Task Force
within the State Department of Education; to require the
standards to reflect the recommendations of the task force;
and to provide certain exceptions from any prohibitions on
screen-use.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) This act shall be known and may be cited
as the Alabama Balanced Instruction and Screen Use Act.
(b) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(1) Early elementary years are critical for children's
brain development, literacy acquisition, attention formation,
and executive function.
(2) Research demonstrates that children learn
foundation skills most effectively through direct instruction,
handwriting, physical texts, manipulatives, and sustained
interaction with teachers and peers.
(3) Educational technology is most effective when used
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
HB584 Engrossed
Page 2
(3) Educational technology is most effective when used
intentionally and in moderation and should not displace
evidence-based instructional practices.
(4) It is in the best interest of Alabama's children to
ensure that screen-based instruction is developmentally
appropriate and grounded in current research.
(5) The intent of this act is to promote balanced
instructional practices in kindergarten through twelfth grade
while preserving local flexibility and elevating educator
expertise.
(6) This act shall be read in pari materia with The
Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, Act 2026-169,
2026 Regular Session.
Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) BOARD. The State Board of Education.
(2) DEPARTMENT. The State Department of Education.
(3) SCREEN-BASED INSTRUCTION. The delivery of
educational content primarily through digital devices,
including, but not limited to, a laptop, Chromebook, or
tablet, in lieu of direct teacher-led instruction.
Section 3. (a) The board shall adopt standards for
screen-based instruction for kindergarten through twelfth
grade. The standards shall include specific guidance on
appropriate screen-based instruction for each grade and shall
reflect, but not be limited to, the following requirements:
(1) The use of screen-based instruction as
developmentally appropriate and supported by research.
(2) The use of screen-based instruction only as a
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
HB584 Engrossed
Page 3
(2) The use of screen-based instruction only as a
supplementary tool for instruction in core academic subjects
and may not serve as the primary mode of instruction.
(3) Screen-based instruction may not replace explicit
phonics instruction, handwriting, reading of physical texts,
manipulative-based mathematics instruction, or teacher-led
discussion.
(4) Continuous, self-paced digital coursework may not
be used as a substitute for teacher-directed instruction.
(5) The scheduling of regular vision breaks guided by
research, which may include the requirement that students
follow the 20-20-20 rule. For the purposes of this
subdivision, the "20-20-20 rule" means that every 20 minutes,
students must spend at least 20 seconds looking at an object
at least 20 feet away.
(6) Screen-based instruction, including work done in
the classroom and assigned to be completed at home, must have
clear educational value or involve critical thinking
activities, including, but not limited to, coding, immersive
simulations, creating multimedia projects, design, interaction
with experts, peer collaboration, and research.
(7)Screen-based instruction must be compliant with
applicable courses of study.
(8) Screen-based instruction must be compliant with
state and federal privacy and data protection laws,
regulations, and rules, and data governance policies adopted
by the State Board of Education and local boards of education.
(9) The exceptions provided in Section 5.
(b) Each local board of education shall adopt policies
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
HB584 Engrossed
Page 4
(b) Each local board of education shall adopt policies
consistent with the board's standards adopted pursuant to
subsection (a).
(c) The board shall annually prepare a progress report
relating to screen-based instruction in kindergarten through
twelfth grade. The report shall include, but not be limited
to, the use of screen-based instruction in kindergarten
through twelfth grade, any revisions to the screen-based
instruction standards, and the effect of the screen-based
instruction standards on students, such as the average daily
screen time use per student. The board shall provide a copy of
the progress report for the preceding academic year to the
Governor and the Legislature no later than October 1 of each
year.
(d) The department shall oversee compliance with this
act and may adopt rules necessary to enforce compliance.
Section 4. (a)(1) The Instructional Technology Task
Force is created within the department. The membership of the
task force shall be composed of the following:
a. Each of the following, appointed by the Governor:
1. Four classroom teachers, including two elementary
school teachers, one middle school teacher, and one high
school teacher.
2. One parent of a public school student.
3. One pediatric ophthalmologist or vision health
specialist.
b. Two nationally recognized experts in child
development, pediatric digital media research, or cognitive
science, one of whom shall be appointed by the President Pro
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
HB584 Engrossed
Page 5
science, one of whom shall be appointed by the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
c. Two literacy or childhood development experts, one
of whom shall specialize in adolescents and be appointed by
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and one of whom shall
specialize in early childhood and be appointed by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives.
d. One representative of the Alabama Department of
Education.
e. Each of the following, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education:
1. Two principals of public schools, including one
principal of an elementary school and one principal of a
middle school or high school.
2. One local superintendent of education.
3. One district instructional technology director.
4. One school curriculum and instruction specialist.
5. One local curriculum director.
(2) The appointing authorities shall assure the task
force membership is inclusive and reflects the racial, gender,
geographic, urban, rural, and economic diversity of the state.
(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall call
the first meeting of the task force no later than June 1,
2026, at which time the task force shall elect a chair and a
vice chair. The task force may then meet as necessary to
conduct business.
(b) The task force shall provide recommendations to the
board on the screen-based instruction standards adopted
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
HB584 Engrossed
Page 6
board on the screen-based instruction standards adopted
pursuant to Section 3. The duties of the task force are as
follows:
(1) Review up-to-date peer-reviewed research on screen
use, learning, and instruction.
(2) Establish developmentally-appropriate grade-band
recommendations for screen-based instruction.
(3) Identify best practices to ensure technology
enhances rather than replaces direct instruction.
(4) Develop guidelines and best practices for virtual
delivery of instruction, including any e-days or remote
learning days.
(5) Issue written recommendations to the State Board of
Education no later than October 1, 2027.
(6) Annually until 2030, review its prior
recommendations and, as necessary, provide updated
recommendations to the State Board of Education for the next
academic school year. Beginning in 2030, the State Department
of Education shall convene the task force for review of its
prior recommendations at the same interval as the department
reviews the Computer Sciences Course of Study, or its
successor.
(c) The State Superintendent of Education and the State
Board of Education shall review any recommendations from the
task force. The board shall include the recommendations of the
task force in the standards created pursuant to Section 3.
Section 5. This act does not apply to any of the
following:
(1) Assistive technology required under an
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
HB584 Engrossed
Page 7
(1) Assistive technology required under an
Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
(2) State or federally required assessments.
(3) A teacher's use of technology for instructional
displays or presentations.
(4) Temporary emergency remote instruction.
(5) Any computer science course or instruction in
computer science pursuant to Section 16-46B-2, Code of Alabama
1975.
(6) Online high school or college courses taken by
public school students.
(7) Summer school courses taken via ACCESS Virtual
Learning.
(8) Teacher's intermittent use of technology for the
purposes of collecting rapid formative assessments to increase
student engagement with teacher-led instruction.
Section 6. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
HB584 Engrossed
Page 8
1, 2026.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Education Policy
................05-Mar-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
2 amendments
................12-Mar-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 98
Nays 0
Abs 4
................ 31-Mar-26
John Treadwell
Clerk
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206