PHOENIX—Arizona lawmakers in both chambers of the legislature endorsed an age verification bill on Wednesday that explicitly targets adult entertainment platforms. The bill, House Bill (HB) 2112, was introduced by Freshman Arizona state Rep. Nick Kupper, a conservative Republican.
HB 2112 creates a new right of action for parents to sue pornography companies that don't comply with age verification requirements in the Arizona digital space. Failure to comply could offer violators what Kupper calls "steep penalties," which include up to $250,000 fines if a minor accesses age-restricted content due to a failure to verify ages.
"This bill defends children’s safety and puts Arizona on the right side of a growing national effort," said Kupper, citing other states that have implemented age verification.
The Kupper bill was adopted by the House of Representatives in February on a vote of 44-15-1 in favor of passage. The most recent endorsement was taken by the House today through a third reading and final action vote, which affirmed the measure on a vote of 35-23-2 in favor.
Senate members today voted 18-10-2 to advance the measure to the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat. Hobbs opted to veto a similar age verification bill in 2024, citing the ongoing litigation and existing case law that suggests age verification laws are potentially unconstitutional and in violation of the First Amendment.
"While we look for a solution, it should be bipartisan and work within the bounds of the First Amendment, which this bill does not," Hobbs said at the time.
