The House Judiciary Committee heard SB 17 concerning age verification for material harmful to minors authored by Sen. Bohacek and sponsored by Rep. King. The author explained that the bill:
- requires an adult oriented website operator that displays material harmful to minors to use a reasonable age verification method to prevent a minor from accessing an adult oriented website;
- creates a cause of action to permit the parent or guardian of a child harmed by a violation of the age verification requirement to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees; and any other person to bring an action to obtain injunctive relief and reasonable attorney’s fees; and,
- prohibits a person that conducts age verification from retaining the identifying information of an individual seeking to access an adult oriented website that displays material harmful to minors and permits an individual whose identifying information is retained to bring an action to obtain monetary damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees.
The Committee amended the bill to add definitions of “person” and “verification information,” increase damages from $1,000 to $5,000, require adult oriented website operators to use commercially reasonable methods to secure information, and add a provision giving the Attorney General authority to bring an action. The amendment also requires verification information of minors to be kept confidential with certain exceptions.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana testified in opposition. The American Family Association of Indiana and the Indiana Catholic Conference testified in support. The amended bill passed 8-1.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/17