LOS ANGELES—Adult industry-focused age verification legislation has advanced through state legislatures across the United States.
Freshman Arizona state Rep. Nick Kupper, a conservative Republican, introduced House Bill (HB) 2112, which passed through the state House on Feb. 12, 44-15-1. One member was marked as not voting. Now, the bill is before the Senate pending further action.
Attempts at similar legislation in Arizona have been unsuccessful. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, vetoed a Republican-backed bill similar to the Kupper bill.
Meanwhile, HB 236, age verification legislation in Missouri, has advanced to the state’s House floor for debate. Missouri state Rep. Sherri Gallick, the bill sponsor, secured a Feb. 24 vote of 8-1 from the House Rules and Administrative Committee for a “do pass.”
In Wyoming, lawmakers in the state Senate are set to debate HB 43 after the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously endorsed it on Feb. 20. State Rep. Marth Lawley, another Republican, introduced the bill to propose a civil penalty regime for adult websites that don’t use age-gating methods.
As AVN has also reported, South Dakota is on track to become the next state to have an age verification law with criminal penalties for violators.
