TALLAHASSEE—Florida state senators have officially combined legislation that will now ban social media use for minors under the age of 16 years and implement mandatory age verification requirements for adult users looking to access pornography in the state.
A debate over potential constitutionality and whether the measure infringes on parental rights, a hallmark of Florida's conservative pedigree, is currently taking place. However, Republican House Speaker Paul Renner of Palm Coast indicated that the bill, House Bill 1, will become a priority for his chamber to pass after the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee revamped the entire proposal to include the two issues. The bill was advanced out of committee on a vote of 12-5 in favor and now faces a floor vote in the state Senate.
“I believe that we have to do something to protect our kids,” Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Fort Lauderdale, said during the committee hearing, via the News Service of Florida. She voted for the bill. “I believe we were wrong to just turn our kids over to social media.”
