[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4783 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4783

 To establish a program to recognize elementary schools and secondary 
 schools that have implemented a policy to prohibit smartphone use by 
 students during instructional hours and a program to recognize local 
  educational agencies and State educational agencies that serve such 
                                schools.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 25, 2024

Mr. Romney (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a program to recognize elementary schools and secondary 
 schools that have implemented a policy to prohibit smartphone use by 
 students during instructional hours and a program to recognize local 
  educational agencies and State educational agencies that serve such 
                                schools.

    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 ``Smart Kids not Smartphones Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``secondary school'', ``Secretary'', and 
        ``State educational agency'' have the meanings given the terms 
        in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
        of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Smartphone.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``smartphone'' means a 
                hand-held mobile device that is--
                            (i) designed to enable the user to engage 
                        in voice and data communications using wireless 
                        communications;
                            (ii) capable of connecting to the internet; 
                        and
                            (iii) capable of accessing digital 
                        applications, including social media, internet 
                        browsing, text messaging, and streaming 
                        services.
                    (B) Exclusions.--The term ``smartphone'' does not 
                include a phone that offers only a limited capability 
                or set of capabilities (such as placing voice calls and 
                sending text messages), a laptop computer, a tablet 
                device, or a device that has only electronic reading 
                capability.
            (3) Smartphone use policy.--The term ``smartphone use 
        policy'' means a policy that, at a minimum, prohibits 
        smartphone use by students in classrooms during instructional 
        hours, except--
                    (A) for use in emergencies;
                    (B) for use in educational instruction or 
                educational enrichment activities;
                    (C) for use by students with exceptional needs or 
                children with disabilities; or
                    (D) for use in other circumstances as determined by 
                the Secretary.

SEC. 3. RECOGNITION AWARD PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS THAT IMPLEMENT SMARTPHONE 
              USE POLICIES TO PROHIBIT SMARTPHONE USE BY STUDENTS 
              DURING INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS.

    (a) Authorization of School Recognition Award Program.--
            (1) Establishment of award program.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
        establish a non-monetary, non-competitive award program to 
        annually recognize elementary schools and secondary schools 
        that have implemented and enforce a smartphone use policy.
            (2) Public list.--In carrying out the award program 
        established under paragraph (1), the Secretary--
                    (A) shall maintain on the Department's website a 
                publicly available list of all schools that received an 
                award under paragraph (1) in the preceding year, 
                including each school's smartphone use policy; and
                    (B) may determine additional methods of recognizing 
                schools that receive an award under paragraph (1).
    (b) Application.--An elementary school or secondary school that 
seeks to receive an award under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require, 
including--
            (1) a description of the applicant's smartphone use policy 
        and related enforcement mechanisms for such policy; and
            (2) a description of the applicant's student, parental, and 
        family engagement efforts to receive input in developing and 
        enforcing such policy, including families of children with 
        disabilities.
    (c) Eligibility.--The Secretary shall make an award to each 
elementary school and secondary school that--
            (1) submits an application under subsection (b); and
            (2) implements and enforces a smartphone use policy.
    (d) Guidance.--The Secretary--
            (1) shall publish on the website of the Department of 
        Education guidance for elementary schools and secondary schools 
        related to smartphone use policies; and
            (2) in consultation with the Director of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology and the Director of the 
        National Science Foundation, shall publish on the website of 
        the Department of Education smartphone use policy enforcement 
        mechanisms.

SEC. 4. RECOGNITION AWARD PROGRAM FOR LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES AND 
              STATE EDUCATIONAL SCHOOLS.

    (a) Authorization of Local Educational Agency Award Program.--
            (1) Establishment of local educational agency award 
        program.--The Secretary shall establish a non-monetary, non-
        competitive award program to annually recognize local 
        educational agencies for which 100 percent of the elementary 
        schools and secondary schools served by such agencies--
                    (A) have received an award under section 3; or
                    (B) meet eligibility requirements described in 
                section 3(c)(2) by implementing and enforcing a 
                smartphone use policy.
            (2) Public list.--In carrying out the award program 
        established under paragraph (1), the Secretary--
                    (A) shall maintain on the Department's website a 
                publicly available list of all local educational 
                agencies that received an award under paragraph (1) in 
                the preceding year; and
                    (B) may determine additional methods of recognizing 
                local educational agencies that receive an award under 
                paragraph (1).
    (b) Authorization of State Educational Agency Award Program.--
            (1) Establishment of state educational agency award 
        program.--The Secretary shall establish a non-monetary, non-
        competitive award program to annually recognize State 
        educational agencies for which 100 percent of the local 
        educational agencies served by such State educational 
        agencies--
                    (A) have received an award under subsection (a); or
                    (B) meet eligibility requirements described in 
                subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Public list.--In carrying out the award program 
        established under paragraph (1), the Secretary--
                    (A) shall maintain on the Department's website a 
                publicly available list of all State educational 
                agencies that received an award under paragraph (1) in 
                the preceding year; and
                    (B) may determine additional methods of recognizing 
                State educational agencies that receive an award under 
                paragraph (1).

SEC. 5. SUNSET.

    The programs authorized under this Act shall cease to exist 
effective on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act.
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