HHS Secretary Kennedy visits Des Moines to sign landmark children’s health legislation and unveil the first-ever Surgeon General’s warning on excessive screen use among youth.
On May 22, 2026, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to mark two significant milestones in children’s health policy: the signing of Iowa’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) legislation and the release of the first-ever Surgeon General’s formal warning on the harms of excessive screen time for children and adolescents.
Secretary Kennedy in Iowa: Roundtable and Bill Signing The day began at the Iowa State Capitol, where Secretary Kennedy and Governor Kim Reynolds convened a roundtable with state legislators, public health officials, and community advocates. Discussions centered on nutrition reform through SNAP improvements, behavioral health and cancer prevention efforts, and expanded rural healthcare access. The group then gathered for a bill signing ceremony celebrating Iowa’s new MAHA legislation.
What Iowa’s MAHA Law Does The newly signed law includes several provisions directly affecting children’s health and education. It strengthens nutrition and metabolic health education for physicians and medical students, raises physical activity standards in schools, limits excessive classroom screen time for young children, restores the Presidential Fitness Test, and advances healthier nutrition standards for families statewide.
First-Ever Surgeon General’s Warning on Screen Time Later in the day, at Gilbert Elementary School in Gilbert, Iowa, Secretary Kennedy and Governor Reynolds joined Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, Director of National Health Communications for the Office of the Surgeon General, to announce the release of the Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use: An Advisory and Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents. This marks the first time the Office of the Surgeon General has issued formal guidance on the physical, mental, emotional, and developmental risks associated with excessive screen exposure in young people. The accompanying toolkit offers practical, evidence-based recommendations to help families build healthier digital habits.
What This Means for Families For parents and pediatric healthcare providers, these developments signal a growing national consensus: screen time is a serious children’s health issue — not just a parenting preference. Families are encouraged to review the Surgeon General’s toolkit and speak with their child’s doctor about age-appropriate screen guidelines, physical activity goals, and strategies for reducing digital overexposure at home and at school.
References / Sources
- HHS Office of Public Affairs. Secretary Kennedy Celebrates Landmark Iowa MAHA Legislation, Announces First-Ever Surgeon General Warning on Excessive Screen Time. Press Release, May 22, 2026. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Office of the Surgeon General. Warning on the Harms of Screen Use: An Advisory and Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents. Released May 22, 2026. HHS.gov.
