COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio became the latest state in the United States to adopt age verification measures that target adult entertainment websites, which were attached to the state appropriations bill that was signed into law by Republican state Gov. Mike DeWine last week.
The appropriations bill, House Bill (HB) 96, was signed into law by Gov. DeWine on July 2. DeWine explained in a statement, "This budget builds upon my commitment to make Ohio the best place for everyone to live their version of the American Dream. ... It prioritizes our children, empowers our workforce, and strengthens our communities."
AVN reported on HB 96 with amendments allowing a rider bill for age verification back in April.
The bill's language mentions "reasonable age verification methods" that rely on government-issued identification cards, transactional data and other means. Language in the bill also attempts to target people within state boundaries who are attempting to circumvent age verification through a VPN by geofencing the user from the websites.
Age verification provisions are buried deep within the 3,156-page omnibus spending bill that funds the entire state government of Ohio for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Companies in the adult entertainment industry, via the age verification vendors they are forced to use, must verify the same users every two years thereafter.
