DES MOINES, Iowa—The Iowa Senate on Wednesday voted unanimously to advance a revised version of an age verification bill targeting porn websites and platforms with prescribed amounts of content considered "harmful to minors."
House File (HF) 864 was adopted by 46 votes in favor and 0 votes against during a floor session held at the state Capitol Building.
HF 864 was originally filed and adopted on a similar vote in the first annual meeting of Iowa's two-year-long state legislative session in 2025. The Iowa House of Representatives pushed the bill forward at the end of the session last year, but it has been held until they recovened this year.
In an effort to conform to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed a similar age verification law in Texas, the senators backing the legislation amended HF 864 to pass muster in judicial review.
Now, the bill returns to the House for a new round of votes where it is likely to recieve no major opposition. Iowa is a GOP-held state legislature that is just short of a conservative supermajority.
HF 864 is expected to be signed into law by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, signaling that the Hawkeye State is the latest jurisdiction to adopt some form of age verification targeting adult entertainment content.
Given this likelihood, HF 864 empowers the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, led by conservative Republican Brenna Bird, to enforce provisions within the bill.
Of note, the websites and platforms subject to the bill would face penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.
"The attorney general may bring a civil action to provide for civil penalties in an amount not more than $100,000" if the platform defies a legal injunction, per the bill.
As is standard for bills similar to HF 864 in other states, third-party "reasonable" age verification providers can be adopted by the parent companies of online pornography platforms. These companies cannot hold on to data obtained through verification, but must present any necessary data if ordered by a state court.
Additionally, the bill would further empower Bird's office to implement an electronic reporting system so that violations can be submitted for investigation by state authorities.
