NASHVILLE, Tenn.
A bill aimed at pulling Tennessee’s youngest students away from digital devices and back toward traditional, teacher-led instruction has cleared both chambers of the General Assembly and is now awaiting Gov. Bill Lee’s signature.
The General Assembly finalized legislation that will require schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade to develop a policy to limit the use of electronic devices and block any students from accessing social media during school hours.
Senate Bill 2310 was significantly dialed back from its original form, which sought to totally ban digital educational devices like Chromebooks for young students.
“We are seeing a real and growing problem in our classrooms,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Michele Reneau (R-Hixson). “We still have kids who are struggling to read. We have shorter attention spans, and we have students struggling to retain what they learn. At the same time, digital devices have become the default method of instruction for many of our youngest learners. Research is increasingly clear that this is problematic.”
The legislation cleared the House by a vote of 87-6 after the Senate passed it unanimously.
The bill does not ban digital device use for targeted instructional support or remediation, accommodations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, screenings, teacher preparation or lesson planning, public virtual schools, homebound instruction, remote instruction, or hybrid learning days.
Not everyone is fully on board. Some parents expressed concern about removing an avenue for students to communicate with family during emergencies, and some educators worried about disruption to instructional workflows that rely on technology. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) raised questions about how digital whiteboards — now common in many classrooms — fit into the bill’s definition of prohibited devices, though he ultimately voted in favor.
If signed into law, the restrictions on digital devices could begin rolling out in Tennessee classrooms starting July 1, 2026.
