Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 2676, known as the MAHA ( Make American Healthy Again) bill, on May 20, 2026. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the signing.
The bill includes a large health-policy package, but possibly the most notable reform is the elementary school screen time limit which limits screen time during the school day for elementary school students. As part of the reform, the bill requires that schools limit daily device exposure for young students, increases required physical activity during the school day, and implements healthier school lunch standards.
Other reforms in the bill include restrictions on SNAP eligible foods, removal of certain food dyes from school meals, permission for over-the-counter ivermectin, and nutrition education requirements for medical professionals.
The screen time limit is the most unique reform as research is now showing that excessive screen time negatively effects the intellectual, physical and social development of children. The bill requires that schools rebalance time toward more physical movement and in-person engagement.
The law requires a cap of 60 minutes a day of screen time/digital instruction for K-5 students with exceptions for special education needs/individualized programs. It also balances this with the requirement minimum of two hours of physical activity per week. This is a statewide, uniform statute which will require every public school to adjust curricula, schedules, and teaching activities.
Other states have passed laws to limit cell phone usage in schools, but none have put a limit on instructional technology usage other than restrictions of which programs and social media may be used while in school.
Iowa ties the law to physical health, fitness, and chronic‑disease prevention, alongside fitness tests and activity requirements while other state laws frame bans strictly on distraction, bullying, or mental‑health issues. Iowa’s ban also specifies “instructional screen time,” not just usage of technology in school.
Implementation of the law needs to be planned and provided to schools. It is not clear about the definition of digital instruction nor does it provide steps for monitoring technology minutes in schools.
It is also possible that there could legal challenges to the law from those promoting local control or from commercial vendors who currently provide technology in the schools.
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