Ala. Senate Passes Porn Age-Verification Bill as Ariz. Governor Vetoes Similar Measure
An Alabama bill aiming to protect kids’ online neared the finish line after it passed the state Senate unanimously on Tuesday. HB-164 would require a reasonable age-verification method to restrict those younger than 18 from accessing pornographic websites (see 2403210064).…
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The House approved the bill Feb. 29 but must vote again to align it with a short Senate amendment, including a clarification about the appropriate venue for the bill’s private right of action. A day earlier, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a similar bill requiring age verification for adult websites (HB-2586). “The legislation goes against settled case law,” wrote Hobbs. “Children’s online safety is a pressing issue for parents and the state,” but the answer “should be bipartisan and work within the bounds of the First Amendment, which this bill does not.” In addition, the Democratic governor vetoed the Republican-controlled legislature’s HB-2793, which would have required school policies restricting social media access and limiting cellphone usage. “This legislation establishes an unnecessary mandate for an issue schools are already addressing,” said Hobbs.