Montana

Limited Action

Montana at a glance

Montana has a reasonable childhood independence law.
Montana parents report conditions that support childhood resilience.
Montana has not yet mandated a restriction on phones in schools.
Montana has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Montana has not yet passed any major laws that regulate harmful tech or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Passing a statewide bell-to-bell phone-free schools policy will bring focused learning and real connection back to Montana's schools.
Strengthening the childhood independence law to provide clearer protections will better support Montana's families.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for Montana families.
Enacting laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect Montana's kids from manipulative technology.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in Montana.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
Montana has not yet mandated a statewide restriction on phones in schools. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Montana has a reasonable childhood independence law that explicitly affirms independent childhood activities are not neglect. The state's broader neglect statute, however, still leaves room for interpretation.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Attorney General Leadership
Montana's attorney general has been active on tech accountability, filing state-level lawsuits against Meta and TikTok for harming children. Montana also signed the AI Chatbot Safety Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
Montana has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Regulating Harmful Design
Montana has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Holding Tech Companies Accountable
Montana has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Montana has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
High. Montana parents report that their kids experience:
- High levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Ample time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- Relatively low screen time and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.