H.R. 1275 — Focus on Learning Act

This section establishes the short title of the Act as the “Focus on Learning Act.”

This section defines several terms for the Act by incorporating existing Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 definitions under 20 U.S.C. § 7801 for “child with a disability,” “elementary school,” “English learner,” “local educational agency,” and “secondary school.” It also defines “mobile device” to mean any personal mobile telephone or other portable electronic communication device used to call, text, send messages, play games, or watch videos, excluding school-issued devices; defines “school environment free of mobile devices” as an elementary school or secondary school in which students’ mobile devices are kept in a secure container controlled by a school administrator; and defines “school hours” as regular instructional hours, including lunch periods, free periods on school grounds, and time between classroom instruction.

This section directs the Surgeon General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to complete within 2 years of enactment a nationwide study of mobile device use in elementary and secondary schools, including its effects on student learning and academic achievement, educational outcomes and engagement, mental health, classroom instruction, school climate, and student behavior, as well as an analysis of data from schools participating in the pilot program under section 4. It also requires the Surgeon General to submit a report to Congress with the study results and make the report publicly available.

This section establishes a pilot program under which the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, awards grants to local educational agencies to help participating schools purchase secure containers and install lockers to create a school environment free of mobile devices. As background, the program is designed to test schoolwide restrictions on student mobile device use while preserving communication for teachers, administrators, staff, and emergency responders. This section requires applicant local educational agencies to submit an application that includes: (1) an assurance that participating schools will be selected with input from students, parents, educators, principals, school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel; (2) an assurance that each participating school will maintain a communication system, which may include mobile devices, for communication among school personnel and with local emergency responders; (3) an assurance that each participating school will maintain a clear process for students to contact their parents; (4) the school’s existing policy on mobile device use during school hours; and (5) a description of the new mobile device policy that will apply when the school begins participation in the pilot program. This section directs the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to select applicants based on whether participation is likely to yield helpful information for testing a school environment free of mobile devices. It also permits participating schools to allow limited exemptions, while maintaining a mobile-device-free environment, for students to monitor or treat health conditions, for children with disabilities, and for English learners using devices for translation purposes. This section requires local educational agencies to notify parents of students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools that may become participating schools not less than 30 days before submitting an application and again upon receipt of a grant award, and to solicit parent feedback before applying. It limits administrative expenses, data collection, and the study required under section 3 to not more than 2 percent of amounts made available under the section. It authorizes $5,000,000 to carry out the pilot program for FY2025 through FY2029.