Rep. Arseneault frames H.830 as opt‑out protection for families and teachers over classroom EdTech

Representative Angela Arseneault told the House Education Committee on April 8 that H.830 would establish an explicit right for students, parents or guardians and teachers to refuse the use of educational technology products as part of a course of instruction in public and approved independent schools.

Arseneault said the bill is not anti‑technology but seeks “pro‑intentional tech use in education” and framed the issue around three tests: legal, safe and effective. She cited the EdTech Law Center’s concerns about companies taking user information without effective consent and failing to disclose data practices; safety concerns raised by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation about default settings on devices such as Chromebooks; and surveillance practices discussed in a New America paper that describe how some monitoring products collect and extend student data.

She also cited research by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath arguing that many EdTech products do not align with how people learn and that widespread reliance on screens risks superficial learning. Arseneault referenced other states’ activity—Utah’s recent bill limiting home use of one‑to‑one devices for younger grades, Iowa proposals about transparency and time limits for digital instruction, and Rhode Island’s combined opt‑out and registry measures—as context for Vermont’s incremental approach.

Arseneault presented survey results from a Vermont coalition (VTIRL) that has gathered hundreds of responses showing strong support among respondents for opt‑out rights; she and other speakers also shared anecdotal examples of families who left public schools or sought alternatives because of EdTech use. Arseneault said the bill includes teacher protections so educators who decline to use EdTech are not disciplined, reassigned or dismissed for that choice.

Committee members asked for supporting evidence and for time to consider the policy trade‑offs; Arseneault said the bill is intended as an incremental, rights‑based measure and that the committee would hear additional testimony.