House Bill 376 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben RobbinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public K-12 education; requirements for instructional technology, age-appropriate screen time limits, and internet access established, parental access required, creation of model policy by State Board of Education required, adoption and implementation by local boards required, State Board of Education to adopt rules

Summary

HB376 would regulate instructional technology in Alabama public K-12 schools by creating a state model policy with grade-specific screen time and internet limits, requiring local adoption, and ensuring parental access to information about their child’s technology use.

What This Bill Does

It requires local boards to choose, deploy, and monitor instructional technology that is designed for learning and not to replace direct instruction, and to train staff on its use. It also requires local boards, upon request, to provide parents with information about their child’s use of instructional technology and, when applicable, access to the student’s school device and related credentials and browsing history. By the 2027-2028 school year, the State Board of Education must develop and publish a model policy that includes grade-based screen time and internet access limits, transparency to parents, safety/privacy protections, ongoing reviews, educator modeling, and best practices, with the Board adopting rules to implement the policy. The act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Students in public K-12 schools and their families, who would be subject to new technology usage standards and have potential access to information about usage and devices upon request.
• Local boards of education and the State Board of Education, who must develop, adopt, implement, monitor, and enforce the model policy and accompanying rules.

Key Provisions

• Instructional technology used in public schools must be designed for instructional use, not as a substitute for teacher-led instruction, and must support learning outcomes safely and effectively.
• Local boards must select, deploy, and monitor instructional technology and provide necessary training and internal monitoring policies for staff.
• Upon request, local boards must provide parents with information about the student’s use of instructional technology, including access to school-issued devices, account credentials, and browsing history if applicable.
• By the 2027-2028 school year, the State Board must develop a balanced-use model policy detailing grade-level screen time and internet access limits, parental transparency, safety/privacy protections, regular policy reviews, educator modeling, and best practices for screen time.
• The State Board must publish the model policy on its website and adopt related rules to implement the section.
• The act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education