New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes has introduced legislation that would largely ban digital screens from elementary school classrooms across the state. The bill arrives as New York City’s education department grapples with artificial intelligence policy, the state’s teachers union calls for strict screen limits, and at least 16 states pursue similar restrictions nationwide.
Key Takeaways
- Senator Andrew Gounardes introduced a bill that would make New York elementary school classrooms largely screen-free, restricting the use of tablets, laptops, and other digital devices during instruction
- The legislation follows a June 2026 resolution from NYSUT, the state teachers union, calling for a ban on individual screen use for students in pre-K through second grade, including online assessments
- NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels ordered all education technology purchases paused in July 2026 as the city develops updated guidance on AI and screen use
- Governor Kathy Hochul has signaled openness to limiting screen time for younger students, citing early feedback from the state’s bell-to-bell smartphone ban implemented in fall 2025
- At least 16 states have introduced legislation in 2026 to restrict classroom technology, with Utah and Alabama becoming the first to sign screen-time restrictions into law
Gounardes Builds on a Track Record of Youth Technology Legislation
Senator Gounardes, a Democrat representing Brooklyn’s 26th Senate District, has positioned himself as one of Albany’s most active lawmakers on youth technology policy. The screen-free schools bill extends a legislative arc that includes the SAFE for Kids Act, a first-in-the-nation law protecting children from addictive algorithmic feeds and overnight social media notifications, and the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act (RAISE Act), signed by Governor Hochul in December 2025, which imposes transparency and safety requirements on developers of large frontier artificial intelligence models.
The new legislation targets a different front: the devices schools themselves place in students’ hands. Since the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of Chromebooks, tablets, and school-issued laptops, many classrooms never recalibrated their screen use after returning to in-person instruction. Parents, educators, and researchers have raised concerns about the effects on attention, behavior, and social development among younger students in particular.
New York’s Teachers Union and Schools Chancellor Align on Screen Restrictions
The Gounardes bill arrives with significant institutional support already in place. In June 2026, the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) passed a resolution calling for a ban on individual screen use in pre-kindergarten through second grade, including online assessments. The resolution also called for banning student-facing AI for young learners and prohibiting AI chatbots for students under 16.
NYSUT President Melinda Person framed the position as protective rather than reactionary. The union’s stance aligned with a broader shift underway inside New York City’s school system. Chancellor Kamar Samuels, who took over the nation’s largest school district in January 2026, referred to AI as the “most invasive technology” the school system has encountered. In July 2026, Samuels directed principals to pause all new education technology purchases until the department could issue updated guidance on AI and screen use for the coming school year.
The Mamdani administration had already retreated from one technology-forward proposal: in May 2026, the city withdrew plans for an AI-focused high school on the Upper West Side after pushback from parents and students.
Governor Hochul Signals Support for Classroom Screen Limits
Governor Hochul has not formally endorsed the Gounardes bill, but she has publicly indicated willingness to act. At a June 2026 event celebrating the first anniversary of New York’s bell-to-bell smartphone ban at a Brooklyn middle school, Hochul said she had heard from parents and educators concerned about young students using individual laptops and iPads.
New York enacted the Distraction-Free Schools law in 2025, prohibiting unsanctioned use of smartphones and internet-enabled personal devices during the full school day in K-12 schools statewide. Over 1,000 districts submitted their policies ahead of implementation. The law focused on personal devices, however, and did not address school-issued instructional technology, which is the gap the Gounardes bill targets.
National Momentum Behind Classroom Screen Restrictions Continues to Build
New York is part of a broader national movement. At least 16 states introduced legislation in 2026 to restrict the use of educational technology in classrooms. Utah’s HB 273, signed in March 2026, requires the State Board of Education to develop model policies by December 2026 that prohibit screen time for grades K through 3, except for computer science standards. Iowa and Oklahoma have introduced bills capping digital instruction at 60 minutes per day for grades K through 5, while Kansas has proposed prohibiting digital devices altogether in those grades.
The American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers union in the country, released a 10-point plan in 2026 calling for banning screens for students in pre-K through second grade unless there is a compelling reason, such as supporting students with special needs. The plan also called for restrictions on AI chatbot use and paper-based options for student testing.
For New York, the legislative path forward will depend on committee action during the 2025-2026 session. With the state’s teachers union, the city’s schools chancellor, and the governor’s office all moving in the same direction, the Gounardes bill enters the conversation with more institutional alignment than most education technology proposals have seen in Albany.
FAQs
What would the Gounardes screen-free schools bill do?
The bill introduced by Senator Andrew Gounardes would largely eliminate the use of digital screens, including tablets and laptops, from elementary school classrooms across New York State. The legislation targets school-issued instructional technology rather than personal devices, which are already restricted under the state’s existing bell-to-bell smartphone ban.
Does New York already restrict technology in schools?
New York enacted the Distraction-Free Schools law in 2025, which prohibits unsanctioned use of smartphones and internet-enabled personal devices during the school day in all K-12 schools. That law does not cover school-issued devices like laptops and tablets used for instruction, which is the focus of the Gounardes bill.
How many states are pursuing similar legislation?
At least 16 states introduced bills in 2026 to restrict the use of educational technology in classrooms. Utah and Alabama became the first states to sign classroom screen-time restrictions into law, with other states including Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri advancing their own proposals.
