Reps. Whitesides, Harrigan, McClain Delaney, Haridopolos Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Simplify Parental Controls Across Kids’ Devices

TOTAL Screen Time Act would direct NIST to develop a single, interoperable standard so parents no longer have to manage screen time limits app-by-app and device-by-device.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. George Whitesides (D-CA), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), and Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) introduced the Tracking Online Time And Limits (TOTAL) Screen Time Act, bipartisan legislation to make it easier for parents to manage their children's screen time across the growing number of devices in the average household.

Currently, screen time limits don't work between devices, requiring parents to attempt to monitor each phone, tablet, computer, game console, and smart TV individually. When a child hits their limit on a smartphone, they can simply switch to a tablet or game console to start the clock over. This forces parents into an impossible guessing game: either micromanage a patchwork of fragmented timers across different devices, or risk their children spending hours 'device-hopping' from one screen to the next.

The TOTAL Screen Time Act aims to fix that fragmentation by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop a voluntary technical standard that allows parents to set and enforce screen time limits seamlessly across covered devices. Rep. Whitesides introduced and spoke in favor of an amendment with similar provisions during a Science, Space, and Technology Committee markup in June.

"As a parent, I've seen how hard it is to enforce any kind of screen time limits on one device for my kids, let alone multiple devices that all have different apps with different passwords," said Rep. Whitesides. "This bill doesn't tell families how much screen time is right for their kids - that's a decision for parents to make. What it does is give parents the tools to actually enforce that decision, no matter what device their child picks up. It's a commonsense, bipartisan fix to a problem nearly every parent in America has run into."

"As a father of two young girls, I know firsthand how hard it is for parents to keep up with screen time in a world where every device is fighting for our kids' attention," said Rep. Harrigan. "I'm proud to co-lead the TOTAL Screen Time Act with Rep. George Whitesides to help give parents real, practical tools to manage their kids' screen time, without creating a new database of our children's activity or compromising their privacy in the process. Parents shouldn't need a computer science degree to protect their kids online, and this bill is a common-sense step toward making that easier."

"Parents shouldn't have to navigate a maze of apps and devices just to protect their children online. As technology evolves, so should the tools families have to manage it safely. The TOTAL Screen Time Act is a practical, bipartisan step toward giving parents consistent, privacy-protective controls across the digital platforms their children use every day," said Rep. McClain Delaney. "I'm proud to join Congressman Whitesides and my colleagues to help put parents back in the driver's seat and create a healthier digital environment for our kids."

"The TOTAL Screen Time Act gives parents what they've been asking for: one seamless, interoperable standard to set and enforce screen time limits across every device their kids use, from phones to game consoles to TVs," said Joel Thayer, Digital Progress Institute President."It does this the right way, by design protecting children's privacy, barring any centralized database of minor activity, and preserving cybersecurity, while requiring NIST to build the standard in consultation with the FTC, the Surgeon General, medical professionals, and child safety advocates. DPI is proud to support this bill and urges Congress to move quickly to get it into parents' hands."

"Parents RISE! strongly supports Congressman Whitesides' TOTAL Screen Time Act and applauds his leadership in giving families better tools to protect children's digital well-being, said Julianna Arnold, Parents RISE! Executive Director. "A secure, privacy-protective standard that works across devices would provide parents with a practical way to set consistent limits. These tools are an important part of a broader child-safety framework that must also require technology companies to design products that protect children from foreseeable harm."

The TOTAL Screen Time Act would:

• Establish interoperable standards by directing NIST to develop a voluntary technical standard enabling parents to set and enforce screen time limits across multiple "covered devices," including phones, tablets, computers, game consoles, and televisions.
• Prioritize privacy and security by requiring that the standard minimize data exchange between devices, prohibit the creation of a centralized database tracking minors' activity, and preserve strong cybersecurity protections.
• Engage experts by requiring NIST to consult with the Federal Trade Commission, the Surgeon General, device manufacturers, medical professionals, and child safety and privacy advocacy organizations throughout the development of the draft and final standard.

This legislation builds on Rep. Whitesides' ongoing work on children's digital wellbeing. He has held roundtables with parents, educators, and students across the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley to hear directly about how screen time and social media are affecting young people, and take that feedback to Washington.

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