Congressman Pat Harrigan Co-Leads Bipartisan Bill to Give Parents Better Tools to Manage Children's Screen Time

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) joined Congressman George Whitesides (D-CA-27) in introducing the Tracking Online Time And Limits Screen Time (TOTAL Screen Time) Act, bipartisan legislation directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop a voluntary technical standard that would allow parents to set one screen time limit across phones, tablets, computers, gaming consoles, televisions, and other devices while protecting privacy and minimizing unnecessary data sharing.

"Parents know exactly how frustrating this is. You can set limits on your child's phone, but then they move to a tablet, a gaming console, or the TV and you're right back where you started," said Congressman Harrigan. "The technology already exists to help families manage screen time, it just doesn't work together. This bill brings everyone to the table to develop one voluntary standard that gives parents a simple, consistent way to manage screen time across devices without sacrificing privacy or creating another government mandate."

Rather than creating new federal regulations, the TOTAL Screen Time Act brings together technology companies, child safety advocates, medical professionals, privacy experts, and standards organizations to develop a voluntary, cross-platform technical standard. The goal is simple: make it easier for parents to set one screen time limit that works across the devices their children use every day, while protecting cybersecurity and preventing the creation of a centralized database of children's activity.

Congressman Harrigan will continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance practical, bipartisan solutions that strengthen families, protect children online, and ensure technology empowers parents instead of making their jobs harder.