SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Assembly Bill (AB) 3080 has advanced to the California Senate. The State Assembly voted unanimously to advance the bill, with several members recording a non-vote while present as an abstention and show of protest.
Now, the bill that would implement age verification requirements for adult entertainment websites proceeds.
AB 3080 was proposed by Asm. Juan Alanis, a conservative Republican from Modesto.
AB 3080 was originally a model bill drafted by the far-right Christian nationalist-leaning Center for Renewing America that defined material "harmful to minors" as content that is both "obscene" and "indecent."
This broad definition raised concerns among civil society organizations regarding its First Amendment implications and age verification requirements, which they argue violate a user's free speech rights. The bill got a complete makeover, making the age verification measure acceptable for Democrats and Republicans, who voted unanimously to advance it during a Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee hearing two weeks ago.
According to the amended bill text, Asm. Alanis now wishes to add the requirements called for in the bill as an amendment to the already-enacted Parent’s Accountability and Child Protection Act (PACPA).
Alison Boden, the executive director of adult indusry advocacy group Free Speech Coalition, commented to AVN: "We've had constructive conversations with the bill's author and hope that he will take seriously the data we've presented about the dangers of website-based age verification and its serious downstream harms to both children and adults. I've presented the Assemblymember with several proposals that would accomplish his stated goals—protecting children without harming the adult industry—and I look forward to continuing the dialogue. At this time, we remain in opposition to the bill and will mobilize against any further progression."
