Representative Jeana Ross on Thursday prefiled House Bill 78, the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act, for the 2026 Alabama legislative session, positioning Alabama among the first states to establish research-aligned screen time standards for children from birth to age five in publicly funded early learning settings.
VOICES for Alabama’s Children endorsed the legislation Thursday alongside Rep. Ross, emphasizing the importance of proactively supporting healthy child development and establishing consistency and alignment across early learning environments.
“The earliest years of life—from birth to age five—are the most important period of brain development a child will ever experience,” Ross said. “During these years, children are building the foundation for language, attention, emotional regulation, and learning itself. It is critical that we prioritize relationships, play, and high-quality instruction. Aligning screen use with research strengthens—not restricts—our teachers and our classrooms. The intent of this bill is to support those early learning experiences, because strong starts lead to strong futures.”
The legislation would require the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, ADECE, to develop age-appropriate guidelines defining high-quality programming, setting screen time limits by age, and promoting hands-on learning and social interaction in licensed child care facilities, pre-K programs and kindergarten classrooms.
“HB 78 reinforces the importance of partnerships and evidence-based guidance in early childhood education,” said ADECE Secretary Ami Brooks. “By setting clear, developmentally appropriate limits on screen time, this legislation helps protect young children from the well-documented risks of excessive screen exposure while supporting healthy learning environments statewide.”
The bill also requires the guidelines to be made publicly available at no cost to parents and guardians. It establishes a statewide training program for teachers and staff who supervise young children. The training would be developed by ADECE in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Human Resources, DHR, and the Alabama State Department of Education, ALSDE.
“The early years of a child’s life are a period of extraordinary brain development,” said DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. “We know caregiver interactions and communication are vital for the proper growth and socialization of children. Therefore, we must ensure that our children are exposed to these positive and stimulating environments by establishing healthy screen-use guidelines. DHR looks forward to working with VOICES and Representative Ross in creating a set of standards to ensure children are receiving proper supervision and instruction while at child care facilities.”
National guidance from organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes limiting screen exposure for young children—particularly infants and toddlers—and encourages high-quality, adult-supported use of technology. “If passed, the Act would help Alabama align with these best practices and provide consistency across early care, pre-K, and early elementary settings,” Ross’ release shared.
“While we know technology is here to stay, we also know children learn best through human interaction and full sensory engagement,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey. “Experience has long shown us this, and science confirms it. Our youngest children do not need to spend all day on screens, and schools should be places primarily preserved for interactive learning with other children and adults. This bill strikes an important balance between promising technologies and the developmental needs of young learners.”
VOICES, a statewide children’s research and advocacy organization, emphasized that consistent standards are especially important as screen use becomes more common in early learning environments.
“As screen time becomes increasingly prevalent in the lives of young children, this bill seeks a thoughtful balance,” said Dr. Tracye Strichik, executive director of VOICES for Alabama’s Children. “It ensures technology enhances learning rather than replaces essential early experiences. By grounding policy in research and best practices, Alabama has an opportunity to lead the nation in safeguarding healthy development while supporting educators and families.”
Under the bill, licensed child care facilities would be required to implement the guidelines and training as a condition of DHR licensure. Certain prekindergarten classrooms and all public kindergarten classrooms would also be required to comply. Oversight responsibilities would be shared among DHR, ADECE, ALSDE and local boards of education.
“Early childhood experts consistently warn that excessive or unstructured screen time can interfere with learning, attention, and social development. This legislation reflects a growing recognition that early learning environments must prioritize active, relationship-based experiences while using technology intentionally and sparingly,” Rep. Ross’ release stated.
The bill will be considered during the 2026 Alabama legislative session.
