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Assembly Bill A11669

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the "Fostering Optimal Classroom Use of Screens (FOCUS) act" to limit use of internet enabled devices and prioritize non-digital teaching methods

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2025-A11669 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S10685
Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 2-B §§30 - 39, amd §2-d, Ed L

2025-A11669 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "fostering optimal classroom use of screens (FOCUS) act" to limit use of internet enabled and electronic devices and prioritize non-digital teaching methods; prohibits use by younger students; limits and restricts certain uses by older students; requires written policies for opting in for the school issued devices

2025-A11669 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11669
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             September 2, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Shrestha) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "foster-
   ing optimal classroom use of screens (FOCUS) act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "fostering
 optimal classroom use of screens (FOCUS) act".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 2-B to  read
 as follows:
                                ARTICLE 2-B
                                 FOCUS ACT
 SECTION 30. DEFINITIONS.
         31. SCREEN TIME LIMITATIONS.
         32. RIGHT TO ANALOG LEARNING.
         33. STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL-ISSUED DEVICES.
         34. PROHIBITED PRACTICES.
         35. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY REGISTRY.
         36. UPDATED LEARNING STANDARDS.
         37. CONSTRUCTION.
         38. RULEMAKING.
         39. ENFORCEMENT.
   §  30.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "AI COMPANION" SHALL MEAN AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION
 SEVENTEEN HUNDRED OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW.
   2. "ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE" SHALL MEAN AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION  ONE
 OF SECTION SEVENTEEN HUNDRED OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW.
   3.  "CAREGIVER" SHALL MEAN A PUPIL'S PARENT, LEGAL GUARDIAN, OR PERSON
 IN PARENTAL RELATION TO A PUPIL.
   4. "CAREGIVER OPT-IN" SHALL MEAN WHEN A  CAREGIVER  HAS  GIVEN  CLEAR,
 UNAMBIGUOUS, AND INFORMED CONSENT TO A SCHOOL.
   5. "COMPUTER LAB OR CART MODEL" SHALL MEAN WHEN A SET OF STATIONARY OR
 MOBILE  INTERNET-ENABLED OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE ROUTINELY ACCESSED BY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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