CHEYENNE, Wyo.—Wyoming is now the latest state to have an age verification requirement positioned by its proponents as targeting adult websites. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed House Bill (HB) 43, the age verification measure adopted by the state legislature with a batch of other bills on Thursday.
HB 43 is unique in its scope. Instead of focusing specifically on adult entertainment platforms, it broadly covers any website that hosts "material harmful to minors."
Under this definition, the concept of "material harmful to minors" broadly covers "any picture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or other visual depiction that is obscene or is child pornography" and other material that is already criminalized and illegal to distribute.
To remedy this shortcoming, HB 43 permits parents and guardians to sue for damages, court costs, fees, and $5,000 per violation of the law. Such an enforcement format is similar to neighboring Utah, which has a so-called "bounty" age verification law that relies on private enforcement actions handed down by the state courts.
"While it appears that Wyoming has created a higher standard than other states for filing suit (exposure to obscene content as opposed to merely sexually-explicit content), Free Speech Coalition recommends consulting with your legal advisors to determine how to respond," reads a blog post about HB 43 published Friday by the Free Speech Coalition.
HB 43 enters force on July 1, 2025.
