Iowa Passes School Screen Time Limits Law
- Fellow Editors
- May 30
- 4 min read
Legislation Also Includes Other Initiatives Focused On The Health Of Children
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 2676, known as the MAHA ( Make American Healthy Again) bill, on May 20, 2026. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the signing.
The bill includes a large health-policy package, but possibly the most notable reform is the elementary school screen time limit which limits screen time during the school day for elementary school students. As part of the reform, the bill requires that schools limit daily device exposure for young students, increases required physical activity during the school day, and implements healthier school lunch standards.
Other reforms in the bill include restrictions on SNAP eligible foods, removal of certain food dyes from school meals, permission for over-the-counter ivermectin, and nutrition education requirements for medical professionals.
The screen time limit is the most unique reform as research is now showing that excessive screen time negatively effects the intellectual, physical and social development of children. The bill requires that schools rebalance time toward more physical movement and in-person engagement.
The law requires a cap of 60 minutes a day of screen time/digital instruction for K-5 students with exceptions for special education needs/individualized programs. It also balances this with the requirement minimum of two hours of physical activity per week. This is a statewide, uniform statute which will require every public school to adjust curricula, schedules, and teaching activities.
Other states have passed laws to limit cell phone usage in schools, but none have put a limit on instructional technology usage other than restrictions of which programs and social media may be used while in school.
Iowa ties the law to physical health, fitness, and chronic‑disease prevention, alongside fitness tests and activity requirements while other state laws frame bans strictly on distraction, bullying, or mental‑health issues. Iowa's ban also specifies "instructional screen time," not just usage of technology in school.
Implementation of the law needs to be planned and provided to schools. It is not clear about the definition of digital instruction nor does it provide steps for monitoring technology minutes in schools.
It is also possible that there could legal challenges to the law from those promoting local control or from commercial vendors who currently provide technology in the schools.
Because the cap is tied to the "Make America Healthy Again" package and accompanied by a federal youth screen-time advisory event in Iowa, the law could play a symbolic role is getting other states to consider health-framed tech limits. More information:
What is Maryland Doing?
Currently, Maryland passed two bills covering technology usage in schools, the HB0525 (Maryland Phone‑Free Schools Act) and SB79/HB163 (Student Technology Use Policy – Requirements) which address cellphones and personal device, usage in schools not school laptops or instructional technology. These laws require that all public-school districts develop a policy for the use of cell phones and personal technology in schools. The laws are tied to problems of bullying and distraction, not student health. They also ban the use of social media during school hours. They do NOT limit instructional screen time nor do they set parameters for these policies.
According to MSDE, all 24 counties have cell phone policies, but the State Department of Education and the General Assembly are pushing for more defined, restrictive policies. No county has a specific policy for restricting the amount technology usage in the classroom.
RELATED:
In an odd connection, the American Federation of Teachers President, Randi Weingarten seems to align herself with the Trump Administration and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Weingarten recently made a speech which seems in line with the MAHA position on usage of technology in classrooms. But what Weingarten says always has an ulterior motive which is not about the health or success of public schools. The following article shares a nefarious connection between Weingarten's speech and China's influence:
The National Education Association, on the other hand, is against any regulation or banning of technology usage in the classroom. Here is a link to their position:
NEA advocates for:
Increased funding for devices, infrastructure, and training
Integrating technology into all curricula
Ensuring educators—not vendors—control how tech is used
Using technology to enhance, not replace, teaching
This means NEA does not advocate for restricting or removing technology from classrooms.
As states review the growing research on this issue and confront the consequences head on as Iowa has, it is likely that more laws/policies will be created and adopted. Parents and teachers need to be a part of this process.
Additional Resources:
Jan Greenhawk
May 30, 2026
Jan Greenhawk is a former teacher and school system administrator for over thirty years. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Maryland. She also spent over twenty-five years coaching/judging gymnastics and coaching women’s softball. She was a former county Teacher of the Year and one of five finalists for Maryland Teacher of the Year.
This article was originally featured on the Easton Gazette.    Â
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