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Read. Follow. Verify.New York bill restricts classroom screen time, bans social media and AI on student devices, and creates tech registry
Last action · September 2, 2026: REFERRED TO EDUCATIONSponsor: Sarahana Shrestha
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What This Bill Would Do
The FOCUS Act restricts school-issued internet-enabled devices by banning them entirely for pre-K through grade 5, limiting grades 6 through 8 to supervised computer labs or carts, and requiring caregiver opt-in for grades 9 through 12. It prohibits social media, gaming platforms, s, generative AI, and hardware cameras on school devices, while establishing a mandatory Attorney General registry for educational technology providers.
Schools, device providers, and educational technology vendors must overhaul device deployment, software vetting, and contract terms, while students and caregivers gain a right of refusal for digital assignments and testing.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Students in pre-K through grade 12
Their access to school-issued devices, homework requirements, and testing methods are restricted or altered based on grade level.
Caregivers
They receive detailed software disclosures, must provide opt-in consent for older students' devices, and gain the right to refuse device use for their children.
School districts, charter schools, and BOCES
They must adopt written device policies, adjust classroom instruction methods, and ensure they only deploy educational technology from the Attorney General registry.
Educational technology providers and device providers
They must register with the Attorney General, self-attest to statutory and functional requirements, pay registration fees, and limit data processing.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can schools still give tablets or laptops to elementary school students?
Are students required to use social media or AI apps for schoolwork?
Can a parent refuse a school-issued device for their child?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Sep 2, 2026HouseCommitteeREFERRED TO EDUCATION
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Ed-Tech and Screen Regulation
The bill shifts New York education law from permissive digital integration toward mandatory analog prioritization and strict prohibitions on emerging technologies like generative AI in classrooms.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.nysenate.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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