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Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 350
By Committee on Education
1-21
AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts; enacting the
age-appropriate school device act; establishing limitations upon the use
of digital devices in certain grade levels; establishing safety standards
for such devices; authorizing parents to opt students out of the use of
such devices in certain grade levels; establishing certain exceptions.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) Sections 1 through 4, and amendments thereto, shall be
known and may be cited as the age-appropriate school device act.
(b) As used in the age-appropriate school device act:
(1) "Digital device" means any electronic device that is used for
instructional purposes and can access, process, store or transmit data.
"Digital device" includes laptops, tablets, chromebooks, smartphones and
any similar device that has internet capability.
(2) "Parent" means the same as defined in K.S.A. 72-3127, and
amendments thereto.
(3) "Person acting as parent" means the same as defined in K.S.A. 72-
3127, and amendments thereto.
(4) "School" means any school operated by a school district that is
organized and operating pursuant to the laws of this state. "School" does
not include any virtual school as defined in K.S.A. 72-3712, and
amendments thereto.
(5) "Social media platform" means any online website, web-based
application, computer software or other internet medium that that allows
an individual to become a registered user and create an account or profile
for the purpose of allowing such individual to connect and interact with
other users by creating, sharing and viewing user-generated content
through such account or profile. "Social media platform" includes, but is
not limited to, snapchat, instagram, facebook, X and tiktok.
(c) Each board of education of a school district shall implement the
tiered introduction to digital devices in school as provided pursuant to this
section.
(1) For grades kindergarten through five:
(A) Students shall not use any digital device in the classroom;
(B) all instruction shall be print-based and hands-on; and
(C) all tests and assessments, including standardized and statewide
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assessments, shall be conducted using printed materials;
(2) for grades six through eight:
(A) Students may use digital devices that are shared between other
students or classrooms;
(B) schools shall not individually issue digital devices to students;
(C) any digital device that is owned or contracted by the school and
used for instructional purposes shall be set up or programmed to restrict
access to any non-instructional content, including social media platforms
and any shared video or media platforms;
(D) students shall use physical copies of textbooks and not use online
or digital textbooks;
(E) the total amount of time that a student spends on any digital
device during normal school hours shall not exceed one hour per school
day;
(F) a student's use of any digital device during normal school hours
shall be for instructional purposes only;
(G) digital devices that are owned or contracted by the school for
instructional purposes shall remain on the school premises; and
(H) the school shall provide age-appropriate media literacy
instruction to all students. Such instruction shall include a lesson on the
various health-related harms associated with excessive digital device use
and social media platforms. Such instruction shall be delivered without the
use of a digital device; and
(3) for grades nine through 12:
(A) A school may individually issue digital devices to students for
instructional purposes;
(B) the total amount of time that a student spends on a school-issued
digital device during normal school hours shall not exceed one hour and
30 minutes per school day;
(C) a student's use of any school-issued digital device shall be for
instructional purposes only;
(D) any assignments or homework that require the use of a school-
issued digital device outside of normal school hours shall not require a
student to use such digital device for more than one hour per day to
complete such assignments or homework;
(E) online or digital textbooks may be utilized if there are no other
alternative options to provide such instruction; and
(F) the school shall provide age-appropriate media literacy instruction
to all students. Such instruction shall include a lesson on the various
health-related harms associated with excessive digital device use and
social media platforms. Such instruction shall be delivered without the use
of a digital device.
Sec. 2. (a) If a school issues digital devices to students in grades nine
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through 12 in accordance with section 1, and amendments thereto, such
school shall ensure that certain digital device set-up and safety standards
are implemented prior to issuing any such digital device to a student. Such
digital device set-up and safety standards shall:
(1) Enable screen-time settings that allow the student's parent or
person acting as parent to track and support healthy screen-time practices;
(2) disable the camera on the digital device;
(3) block access to social media platforms; and
(4) require that the default privacy and safety settings be configured
to provide the highest level of privacy and safety settings that are available
on such digital device.
(b) Each school shall ensure that any personal information retained on
a school-issued digital device be deleted prior to any subsequent issuance
of such digital device to another student.
Sec. 3. (a) Any school that plans to issue a digital device to students
in any of the grades nine through 12 shall accept and comply with a
written request from a parent or person acting as parent of a student to opt
such student out of any of the following:
(1) The issuance of a digital device to such student;
(2) any requirement that a student shall take a digital device home or
away from the school premises; or
(3) use of a digital device for standardized testing or assessments.
(b) Any student who is opted out of any digital device use pursuant to
subsection (a) shall not be subject to any retaliation or discrimination on
the basis of such parental action.
Sec. 4. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this act, a school may
authorize any student to use a digital device if such use is:
(1) Required for the implementation of a student's individualized
education program or 504 plan; or
(2) approved by an individual licensed by the state board of healing
arts to practice medicine and surgery or a mid-level practitioner as defined
in K.S.A. 65-1626, and amendments thereto, as a medical necessity to
support the health or well-being of the student.
(b) The provisions of this act shall not apply to any virtual school as
defined in K.S.A. 72-3712, and amendments thereto.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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