SF 1012

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 08/17/2021 02:51pm

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 poses a greater 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 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 as described in subdivisions 2
to 5.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

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

new text begin The grant to LiveMore ScreenLess must be
used to support the development of a library of resources for young people, parents, schools,
after-school programs, and community-based organizations 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 Network of organizations. new text end

new text begin LiveMore ScreenLess must identify key local and
national organizations focused on particular aspects of healthy screen use and healthy youth
development, including the issues of cyberbullying, suicide prevention, mental health,
antipornography, mindfulness, and social and emotional learning, in order to create a robust
network for addressing digital well-being. LiveMore ScreenLess must collaborate, coordinate,
and build upon Minnesota organizations and resources to address the effects of screen
overuse and misuse with other advocates of young people.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Train-the-trainer series. new text end

new text begin LiveMore ScreenLess must implement the digital
well-being train-the-trainer series for all Minnesotans serving and advocating for young
people in Minnesota, including youth development and leadership organizations, schools,
community-based organizations, government sectors, and other related agencies.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Peer-to-peer training development. new text end

new text begin LiveMore ScreenLess must deliver
peer-to-peer training to develop young people as mentors and leaders to advocate and
promote digital well-being among their peers and younger students.
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 ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2022 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2023 new text end

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