Focus on Learning Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Focus on Learning Act combines a national study with a school pilot grant program. Within two years, the Surgeon General, consulting HHS, must complete a study on mobile device use in elementary and secondary schools nationwide, including effects on student learning, academic achievement, educational outcomes, engagement, mental health, classroom instruction, school climate, behavior, and pilot-program data. The Secretary of Education, consulting HHS, must award grants to local educational agencies so participating schools can purchase secure containers and install lockers to create mobile-device-free school environments. Applications must include assurances about engaging students, parents, educators, principals, school leaders, and support personnel and maintaining communication systems for staff.
Who Benefits and How
Students in participating schools benefit if device-free environments improve attention, instruction, mental health, or school climate. Teachers benefit from grant-funded storage systems that reduce classroom phone distractions. Local educational agencies benefit from federal grants for secure containers and lockers. Parents and school leaders benefit from required engagement in selecting participating schools and designing communication systems.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Surgeon General and HHS must conduct the national school mobile-device study and report publicly to Congress. The Education Department must run the pilot grant program and review local applications. Participating schools must buy, install, and manage containers or lockers and maintain staff communication systems. Students who rely on phones during the school day may face access limits in participating schools.
Key Provisions
- Requires a Surgeon General study on mobile device use in elementary and secondary schools.
- Requires analysis of learning, achievement, engagement, mental health, instruction, climate, and behavior effects.
- Establishes Education Department grants for secure containers and lockers.
- Requires participating schools to maintain communication systems and engage school communities.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires a Surgeon General study on mobile devices in schools and creates Education Department grants for secure containers and lockers to support mobile-device-free school environments.
Key Policy Areas
Education, Public Health, Technology
Primary Purpose
Requires a Surgeon General study on mobile devices in schools and creates Education Department grants for secure containers and lockers to support mobile-device-free school environments.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Students in participating schools
- Teachers
- Local educational agencies
- Parents
Identified Costs
- Surgeon General
- Education Department
- Participating schools
- Students using phones
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Westerman (for himself, Mr. Stauber, Ms. Morrison, and Mr. …
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Local educational agencies, Participating schools, Students in participating schools
Positive-direction: Local educational agencies, Students in participating schools
Negative-direction: Participating schools
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology