SF 163

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 01/18/2023 08:52am

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; promoting digital well-being education and training
for the health, mental well-being, and learning of all Minnesota students as it relates
to the use of digital media; appropriating money for a Minnesota-based organization
that collaborates with communities to promote digital well-being.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin DIGITAL WELL-BEING GRANT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Findings; grant. new text end

new text begin (a) The legislature finds that the negative effects of
screen overuse and misuse impacts the healthy development of young people. Research
supports a growing amount of evidence on the effects of screen overuse and misuse on the
following dimensions of well-being:
new text end

new text begin (1) physically, including sleep disturbances, eye strain, headaches, obesity, back and
neck pain, and physiological changes in the brain;
new text end

new text begin (2) mentally, including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and addictive tendencies;
new text end

new text begin (3) socially, including loneliness, social upward mobility comparison, nomophobia,
sexting, cyberbullying, unfiltered access to pornography, and diminished social and
interpersonal skills;
new text end

new text begin (4) emotionally, including emotional dysregulation, decreased ability to express empathy,
and lowered self-esteem; and
new text end

new text begin (5) cognitive distraction, including diminished academic performance, decreased working
memory, decrease in cognitive capacity and functioning, and increase in ADHD.
new text end

new text begin (b) The effects of screen overuse and misuse impacts every generation, gender, race,
and social class. Technology is a detriment to children and young people due to their
developing brains and is an additional detriment to underserved populations on social
mobility comparisons, academic achievement, distraction by devices in the learning
environment, compromised use of technology as a learning tool, reduced social and emotional
learning skills, and lower levels of learning motivation and self-confidence.
new text end

new text begin (c) The negative effects of social media, in particular, on young people include sleep
disruption, increased cyberbullying and rumor spreading, increased depression and anxiety,
declines in life satisfaction, loss of interest in daily activities with peers, increased tendency
to send sexualized images, suicidal ideation, self-harming, and obesity.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner of education must award a grant to LiveMore ScreenLess, a
Minnesota-based organization that collaborates with communities to promote digital
well-being. LiveMore ScreenLess must use the grant funds for the purposes in subdivisions
2 to 5.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Digital well-being resource library. new text end

new text begin The grant to LiveMore ScreenLess must
be used to support the expansion of a library of resources for young people, parents, schools,
after-school programs, community-based organizations, and families to continue to serve
Minnesota as the premiere resource for promoting digital well-being.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Communication campaign. new text end

new text begin LiveMore ScreenLess must work with their local
and national partner organizations focused on particular aspects of healthy screen use and
healthy youth development to build upon a robust communication campaign addressing
digital well-being. LiveMore ScreenLess must continue to collaborate and coordinate with
local and national organizations to provide critical resources to address the effects of screen
misuse and overuse on young people.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Trainings and workshops. new text end

new text begin LiveMore ScreenLess must continue to implement
the digital well-being in-person and online trainings and professional development workshops
for educators, community-based organizations, and those serving and advocating for young
people in Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Peer education and leadership training. new text end

new text begin LiveMore ScreenLess must continue
to deliver peer education and leadership training to develop young people as mentors and
leaders, to advocate and promote digital well-being among peers and younger students, and
to provide resources to educators and adults who support young people through trainings
and workshops under subdivision 4.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated in the fiscal years designated from the general fund to the Department of
Education.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Digital well-being. new text end

new text begin (a) For a grant to LiveMore ScreenLess to promote digital
well-being:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 1,250,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2024 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 1,750,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2025 new text end

new text begin (b) The base for fiscal year 2024 and later is ........
new text end