S. 404 — Focus on Learning Act

This section establishes definitions for purposes of the Act. (1) Incorporates the meanings given in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7801) for child with a disability, elementary school, English learner, local educational agency, and secondary school. (2) Defines mobile device as any personal mobile telephone or other portable electronic communication device with which a user engages in a call, writes or sends a message, plays a game, or watches a video (excluding school-issued devices). (3) 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. (4) Defines school hours as regular school hours for instruction, 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 a study not later than two years after enactment on the use of mobile devices in elementary schools and secondary schools nationwide. The study must assess impacts on student learning and academic achievement, educational outcomes and engagement, mental health, classroom instruction, school climate, and student behavior, including an analysis of data from the pilot program under section 4; the Surgeon General must submit a report on the results to Congress and make it 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 enable participating schools to purchase secure containers and install lockers for a mobile-device-free environment during school hours. Grant applicants must provide assurances on stakeholder engagement, school communication systems, student-parent contact processes, and current and proposed mobile device policies; the Secretaries select applicants likely to yield useful data on such environments. Participating schools may exempt mobile devices for health monitoring or treatment, students with disabilities, and English learners for translation; applicants must notify and solicit feedback from parents of potentially affected students at elementary and secondary schools. Up to 2% of funds may be used for administrative expenses, data collection, and a required study, with $5 million authorized for FY2025 through FY2029.