SB 1351: Creates and modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary education and establishes the "Student Screen-Time Standards Act", "Framework on Classroom Use of Screens Council", "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act", and "Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program" - Missouri

3832S.01P - Perfected → 3/3/2026 - SA 1 S offered & adopted (Washington)--(3832S01.05S) 3/3/2026 - Adopted · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to add a new section (167.1001) that allows students to take excused absences to accompany their parents to vote in scheduled elections. This change expands student participation in the democratic process by ensuring they are not penalized for attending civic events with their families.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include specific provisions for student attendance policies related to voting, whereas the original version focused primarily on election scheduling and director terms.

ELIGIBILITY

Students are now eligible for excused absences when accompanying a parent to vote in a scheduled election, limited to one time per election.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added to clarify terms such as 'Election', 'Parent', and 'School' to ensure consistent application of the new attendance rule.

REQUIREMENT

School officials are required to encourage students attending elections to wear an official sticker or badge to demonstrate their attendance upon returning to school.

3832H.03C - House Committee Substitute → 3832S.01P - Perfected · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten to focus exclusively on urban school district elections rather than elementary education technology policies. The original version, which included rules on student screen time and device usage, was entirely removed and replaced with new provisions governing how school board elections are scheduled and how students may accompany parents to vote.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from regulating elementary school technology use to regulating election schedules and student voting rights in urban school districts.

SCOPE

All provisions regarding student screen-time limits, instructional technology policies, and definitions of educational tools were completely deleted.

The repeal section was modified to remove the repeal of section 162.821 and the enactment of nine other unrelated sections, leaving only sections 162.481 and 167.1001.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added to hold school director elections biennially in urban districts, aligning them with municipal election schedules.

ELIGIBILITY

New rules were established allowing students to take excused absences to accompany parents to vote, with specific limits on the number of times this is permitted.

DEFINITION

New definitions were created for 'election,' 'parent,' and 'school' specifically in the context of urban school district voting.

3832S.01I - Introduced → 3832H.03C - House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly expanded from repealing a single section on urban school district elections to repealing two sections and enacting ten new sections covering a wide range of education topics. The most substantive addition is a new 'Student Screen-Time Standards Act' requiring elementary schools to adopt written policies limiting student screen time and promoting traditional learning methods. The bill also broadens its scope to include various new accountability and educational standards beyond the original focus on election timing.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from solely regulating election schedules for urban school directors to a comprehensive education package including student screen time limits, accountability reporting, and new statutory definitions.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for elementary schools to adopt written policies limiting student screen time and prioritizing traditional learning materials.

Added a requirement for the state board of education to develop annual school accountability report cards.

SCOPE

Changed the repealed statutes from one section (162.481) to two sections (162.481 and 162.821).

DEFINITION

Added new statutory definitions for 'Instructional technology', 'Manipulatives', and 'Traditional materials'.

TIMELINE

Established a specific implementation deadline for the screen time policy by the end of the 2027-28 school year.

Creates and modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary education and establishes the "Student Screen-Time Standards Act", "Framework on Classroom Use of Screens Council", "Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act", and "Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program"

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