H.R. 312·Elementary Intermediate
A Bill to Limit Classroom Screen Time in K-3
Rep. Liu (D-CA)
Caps tablet/laptop instructional use at 1 hour per day in grades K-3, with carve-outs for assistive tech.
Sec. 1 — Mandate
Public schools shall not exceed 60 minutes of instructional screen time per day in grades K-3.
Sec. 2 — Exceptions
IEP-designated assistive technology and English-learner tools are exempt.
Sec. 3 — Funding
$22 million for non-digital curriculum materials.
Sec. 4 — Enforcement
Annual state compliance review.
Tournament Prep
Mechanical parts, sourced & timed
Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.
- Bill / Number
- H.R. 312 — A Bill to Limit Classroom Screen Time in K-3
- Funding source
- $22M from ED Title IV-A.
- Timeline
- Annual state compliance review.
- Realistic — most curricula can swap digital practice for paper.
- Enforcing agency
- State ed agencies; ED oversight.
- Yes — under ESSA monitoring.
- Penalty for non-compliance
- Title IV funding adjustment.
- Source citation
- AAP (2016), 'Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents' — pediatrics.aappublications.org.
- Delivery time (read aloud)
- 1:00 (60s)
Strongest counter-argument
Restricting screens disadvantages students who learn through adaptive tech.
Your pre-emptive answer
Sec. 2 carves out IEP and EL-designated assistive tools, which is where the strongest learning gains live. The cap targets passive consumption, not personalized learning.