SMART Kids Act

Key Points

• This bill asks the Surgeon General to create official advice on how much time children should spend on screens each day. The goal is to help kids grow up healthy and stay well in a world full of phones, tablets, and computers.
• The recommendations would be broken down by age, starting from babies and going all the way up to 18-year-olds. This recognizes that a teenager might handle screen time differently than a toddler.
• Experts would also look at the quality of screen time. They might find that some activities, like educational games or video calls with family, are better for kids than just scrolling through social media.
• To keep the advice fair, the Surgeon General must work with an outside group that does not have any financial ties to tech companies. This helps ensure the rules are based on science rather than business interests.
• If the bill passes, the new guidelines would be posted online and sent to Congress within one year. This would give parents and teachers a clear standard to follow when managing technology use at home and school.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.