Your support is needed for Mass. bill S463 which eliminates tech cross-curricular mandates and covers improving early ed & K-12:
- privacy (details on all this further below),
- cellphone limits,
- screen time limits,
- virtual schools, and
- electromagnetic exposures only in early education (like Israel, France, Cyprus etc. – see international policy actions at ehtrust dot org).
Written testimony prepared for submission to the MA legislature can be found here.
You can support this bill by:
- signing in support online here (even past the hearing date & no email required);
- sharing this post with individuals, experts, & groups for their support;
- attending the Boston hearing Tuesday 17th June 1 PM to speak in person 2 minutes; and/ or
- submitting written testimony (deadline unknown, but will ask at hearing).
Written testimony details are listed here and at the bottom of this email. Please note that if you submit suggestions & criticism to the legislature for change, the bill may not move at all.
The bill is S463 An Act regulating screen time and technology privacy in early and K-12 education.
BILL DETAILS
REDUCE SCREEN TIME – In section 2, specific base limits on screen time are set as listed in subsection (e) of the bill, with communities allowed to set stricter limits through the public school authority which must hold an annual public hearing and base decisions on educational benefits. Early childhood care limits are set in section 7, subsection (b) – currently MA has none. Some K-12 exceptions to such limits are granted as listed in subsection (f) of section 2, such as for computer-based courses, medical needs, or virtual schools, however, there is still an emphasis on reducing screen time even in virtual schools and also computer-based courses cannot be mandated. Student cellphones are to be left at home or locked up at school (with some exceptions) and school authorities are to set a policy in subsection (i) — note that many other bills to eliminate cellphones in schools are being heard at this hearing. A performance benchmark for schools is added to reduce tech time and require use to have educational benefits.
PROTECT PRIVACY – Transparency for students, guardians, and staff is required regarding the technologies and data processing agreements, and informed consent and allowing opt outs required. Privacy is added as a performance benchmark for K-12. In early education and care in section 7, relevant privacy and cybersecurity training is to be given, toys may not record confidential data, and posting information online is limited. In K-12, tech implementation should follow best practices such as to limit data gathering – see section 2, subsection (c), paragraphs 10 through 13. Limiting tech also goes a long way to protecting privacy.
EARLY EDUCATION ELECTROMAGNETIC EXPOSURE – In section 7 subsection (b), early education sites are to insure magnetic and electric fields are low [paragraph 15], wireless devices avoided in children’s areas [16], and necessary digital devices hard-wired [17].
IMPROVE VIRTUAL SCHOOLS – For example, section 6 reads:
In reviewing proposals, conducting certification and re-certification, the board and department shall require virtual schools to adopt pedagogical strategies and curriculum, when possible and appropriate to student ability, which adopt the following policies: (1) reduce the time students spend before digital screens; (2) with remote learning, provide real-time access to the subject-area teacher during school hours or an option clear to the students for reaching subject-area teachers during school hours for help; (3) provide a weekly schedule for students or guardians to access teachers with a phone call or other real-time in-person method comparable to after-school hours at traditional brick-and-mortar schools; (4) routinely include teacher-led virtual lessons in real time, rather than relying exclusively on EdTech programs; (5) utilize and favor curriculum and lessons the teacher has vetted, modified, and chosen or created in coordination with student needs and current events, rather than industrial, mass-produced, programmed, or otherwise scripted curriculum.
HEARING INFO
- HEARING ONLINE – Spoken testimony on this bill starts at 1:03:54 – only 2 minutes time was allowed.
- WRITTEN TESTIMONY – Submit as soon as possible because committees must submit a complete report on this and other bills by 16 August 2025.
- Please submit written testimony to Fiona Bruce-Baiden at fiona.brucebaiden@mahouse.gov and Emily Reynolds at emily.reynolds@masenate.gov, or to the Committee on Education at 24 Beacon Street, Room 473G, Boston, MA 02133. The Chairs request that those submitting written testimony include “EDUCATION COMMITTEE TESTIMONY” and the bill number IN THE SUBJECT LINE, and provide the committee with your name, organization, and phone number.
All matters filed in the House that are listed above are required to be reported on August 16, 2025, subject to extensions consistent with House Rule 27.