July 14, 2026
Mr. Whitesides (for himself, Mr. Harrigan, Mrs. McClain Delaney, and Mr. Haridopolos) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support the development of a voluntary technical standard for setting a screentime limit across certain devices, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Tracking Online Time And Limits Screen Time Act
or the TOTAL Screen Time Act
.
Sec. 2. Voluntary technical standard for setting a screentime limit across certain devices
(a) Development
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (in this section referred to as the Director
) shall solicit public comment and seek to convene the stakeholders specified in subsection (b) to support the development of a voluntary technical standard that satisfies the following requirements:
(1)
Is for setting a screentime limit across covered devices.
(2)
Includes an authentication and authorization model that is for minors and the parents or guardians of such minors and does not require a certain identity scheme.
(3)
With respect to such limit, minimizes to the extent practicable the exchange of data across such devices.
(4)
Does not facilitate a centralized database of information relating to the activity of such minors on such devices.
(5)
Does not compromise the cybersecurity of such a device.
(b) Stakeholders specified
The stakeholders specified in this subsection are the following entities:
(1)
The Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
(2)
The Chair of the Federal Trade Commission.
(3)
The Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board.
(4)
The Surgeon General.
(5)
Developers of covered devices.
(6)
Organizations that are composed of medical professionals who treat minors.
(7)
Organizations that advocate for any of the following:
(A)
The safety of minors.
(B)
Privacy.
(8)
International standards organizations.
(9)
Any other entity the Director determines appropriate.
(c) Report
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter until January 1, 2032, the Director shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and publish on a publicly available website of the Institute a report regarding the development of the technical standard referred to in subsection (a) that includes information relating to the following for the annual or biennial period covered by such report:
(1)
The extent to which such technical standard has been developed.
(2)
The extent to which such technical standard has been adopted.
(3)
Recommendations, if any, of the Director with respect to supporting such development and such adoption.
(d) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Covered device
The term covered device means a device that satisfies the following requirements:
(A)
Is any of the following devices:
(i)
A phone.
(ii)
A tablet.
(iii)
A computer.
(iv)
A game console.
(v)
A television.
(vi)
Any other device the Director determines appropriate.
(B)
Is capable of the following:
(i)
Playing screen media or other audiovisual content.
(ii)
Enforcing a screentime limit.
(2) Minor
The term minor means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age.
(3) Screentime
The term screentime means time during which screen media or other audiovisual content is played on a covered device, regardless of whether such media or content, as the case may be, is so played in the foreground or the background.