Wyoming lawmakers push for age verification laws to protect children from online pornography

The Wyoming House Judiciary Committee convened on January 22, 2025, to discuss House Bill 43, which aims to implement age verification requirements for adult websites to protect children from exposure to pornographic material. The meeting featured testimonies from various stakeholders, including legal experts, child protection advocates, and representatives from family policy organizations, all emphasizing the urgent need for such legislation.

Joseph Kome, Public Policy Director at Family Policy Alliance, highlighted the alarming accessibility of adult content to minors, arguing that parents should have the authority to control their children's exposure to such material. He noted that research indicates a significant correlation between exposure to pornography and harmful behaviors among adolescents, including increased rates of sexual violence. Kome urged the committee to support the bill, citing that 19 other states have already enacted similar laws.

Nathan Winters, President of the Wyoming Family Alliance, echoed these sentiments, asserting that the First Amendment does not protect the distribution of obscene material to children. He drew parallels to past regulations that successfully limited children's access to adult content, emphasizing the necessity of modern laws to address the pervasive nature of online pornography.

Christina Rangel, Director of Public Policy at Exodus Cry, shared her personal experience as a survivor of sex trafficking and underscored the graphic and violent nature of contemporary pornography. She argued that the current landscape of adult content is not only harmful but also increasingly accessible to children, necessitating immediate legislative action.

The committee members expressed their commitment to safeguarding children from online exploitation, with discussions focusing on the balance between protecting minors and upholding constitutional rights. The bill's proponents stressed that age verification measures are a reasonable step to ensure that children are not inadvertently exposed to harmful content.

As the meeting concluded, the committee acknowledged the critical nature of the issue at hand and the importance of aligning the proposed legislation with existing efforts to protect children from online dangers. The next steps will involve further deliberation on the bill, with the potential for a vote in the coming weeks.