Bills that would limit screen time, boost physical education and require firearm safety training in public schools advanced past a key legislative committee on Wednesday.

The House Common Education Committee unanimously passed House Bill 4358 that would allow no more than one hour of screen time each school day for elementary students. The bill’s author, Representative Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, said he expects to make further changes to the bill to allow a certain amount of screen time per class and to permit extra time for computer-based testing.

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“We know that our kids are most successful when they are in front, face-to-face with our well, well trained educators in Oklahoma,” Moore said during the committee meeting. “We want to make sure we’re getting as much time face-to-face as possible.”

Virtual charter schools, which primarily teach online, would be exempt from the rule if it becomes law.

Legislation from Representative Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, would more than double the minimum time elementary students must spend in physical education or an exercise program. HB 3288 would raise that minimum from 60 minutes to 150 minutes per week, not including recess time.

The bill, which passed unanimously, also would prohibit recess from being withheld from elementary students as a form of punishment. The only exception is if a student exhibits “aggression or threatening behaviors.” The child would be entitled to physical activity through another accommodation if denied recess.

“We have an obesity epidemic. We have kids that are getting very little physical activity after school,” Roe told the committee. “I feel that if we can increase physical activity in some of these kids, we can improve behaviors in the classroom. We can improve test scores.”

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Districts would have to provide firearm safety training to students under HB 3312, which passed a party-line vote of 9-2.

The bill from Representative Ryan Eaves, R-Atoka, would require the training to be “viewpoint neutral on political topics,” such as gun violence, gun rights and the Second Amendment.

The Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training would partner with the Oklahoma State Department of Education to determine the earliest applicable age for such a training and to develop a curriculum.

The program would teach elementary-age children not to touch a found firearm and instead to tell an adult. The same advice would apply to training for students in middle and high schools, who also would be taught safe storage of firearms and school safety.

Families, but not schools, would have the option to opt out of the program.

All bills the committee passed will continue to the Education Oversight Committee for further review.