Gov. Ivey Signs Bill Limiting Screen Time in Childcare

A new law in Alabama is taking aim at how much screen time young children are exposed to during the school day.

Governor Kay Ivey signed the Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act on Wednesday, placing limits on electronic screen access in early childhood education programs and licensed childcare facilities across the state. The legislation was one of the governor’s priorities during the 2026 legislative session.

The new law does not eliminate technology from classrooms, but it sets clearer guidelines to ensure young children still benefit from hands on learning and real world interaction.]

“Video screen access in classrooms can boost learning skills among our young children, but too much screen exposure can also be detrimental, harming critical social and cognitive development,” said Governor Kay Ivey, according to a press release from the office of the governor. “The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act ensures our youngest students are provided a healthy balance of screen time and traditional learning in order to protect social and emotional development.”

The bill was sponsored by Representative Jeana Ross and Senator Donnie Chesteen and will require the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education to work alongside the Department of Human Resources and the State Department of Education to develop statewide guidelines for screen based media use.

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Those guidelines will apply to day care centers, day care homes, group day care homes, night care facilities, as well as prekindergarten and kindergarten programs.

In addition to setting expectations for classroom technology, the law also requires the creation of training programs to help teachers and childcare workers better understand appropriate screen use for young children.

Supporters say the goal is to make sure technology never replaces human interaction during some of the most important years of childhood development.

The Healthy Early Development and Screen Time Act will officially take effect on January 1, 2027.