Students from all 50 states pass the STUDENTS FIRST Act on AI in schools
Student senators representing all 50 states passed the STUDENTS FIRST Act, a national AI policy framework for K-12 schools, on August 3, 2026.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels
Student delegates representing all 50 states passed a national policy framework for artificial intelligence use in K-12 schools, called the STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026, by a vote of 82-16 on July 19, 2026, according to AASA, The School Superintendents Association, which announced the outcome on August 3, 2026. The framework was drafted and debated at “America’s Youth AI Festival,” a three-day event held July 17-19 on the UMass Boston and MIT campuses and inside a full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate chamber at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.
Who organized the student AI policy framework
The event was organized by the nonprofit Day of AI, MIT RAISE, AASA, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. Sources differ slightly on the size of the student group: AASA’s release describes “students representing all 50 states” and refers to “Student Senators,” while Education Week and NPR both reported that 98 high school students took part. Delegates were split into four special subcommittees, covering student, parent, teacher, and administrator provisions, and voted on amendments before a final floor vote in the replica Senate chamber.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Final vote | 82 in favor, 16 against |
| States represented | 50 |
| Policy sections | 5 (General, Student, Parents/Guardians, Teachers, Administrators) |
| Subcommittees | 4 (STUDENT, PARENT, TEACHERS, ADMIN) |
| Event dates | July 17-19, 2026 |
| AASA network the Act will reach | More than 10,000 school and district leaders |
What the STUDENTS FIRST Act would require
The framework, whose name stands for “Safe Technology Use, Data Privacy, and Ethical Norms for Teaching – Fostering Integrity and Responsible Systems in Teaching,” stops short of banning AI outright or allowing unrestricted use. Among its provisions, the Act would require AI-literacy instruction as soon as students start using classroom devices, prohibit AI use on graded assessments, and let teachers require an oral defense, handwritten assessment, or in-person discussion when AI use is suspected in a project. Students in ninth grade and above could use AI for brainstorming, studying, or editing their own writing with teacher permission, but the Act bars AI from generating written or artistic assignments at any grade level.
The Act also addresses fairness and privacy: students would have the right to appeal accusations of improper AI use, backed by human review from multiple school officials rather than automated detection alone, and schools would be barred from using AI to profile students by ethnicity, religion, appearance, beliefs, or values. Consequential decisions such as grades, discipline, and hiring could not rely on AI alone. Day of AI executive director Jeff Riley said the framework was “written by students, for students,” adding that the group “examined the benefits and risks of AI, debated difficult tradeoffs, and developed a serious framework that education leaders can now evaluate, test, and strengthen.”
The framework arrives as many districts are still working out their own AI policies for schools. At least seven U.S. states, including Ohio, have already enacted comprehensive school AI policy requirements, following moves such as Illinois’ 400-page AI guidance for schools and Orange County Public Schools’ first AI policy, while other districts continue to debate rules following Senate hearings on AI guardrails in schools.
Background
Day of AI was founded in 2021 through MIT’s RAISE initiative and became an independent nonprofit in 2024, working with MIT researchers to provide free AI curriculum and professional development to K-12 educators worldwide. MIT RAISE, based at the MIT Media Lab, focuses on advancing responsible AI use in education and public life. AASA, founded in 1865, represents more than 10,000 school system leaders nationally and will distribute the STUDENTS FIRST Act text to that network. The Edward M. Kennedy Institute, founded in 2015 in Boston, houses the only full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate in the world and has run civic education programs for nearly 200,000 students to date. The four organizations now plan webinars, workshops, and in-person school visits over the coming months so districts can weigh whether to adopt or adapt the student-written framework ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
Sources: AASA, The School Superintendents Association; Day of AI; Education Week
Featured image: photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
