[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6250481,"mediaKeyId","3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f","parentId",3200677,"title","Committee backs app-store age-verification requirement for minors with amendments and implementation delay","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4998000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f&start=4998&end=4998","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f/thumbnail_4998000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250481/Louisiana/Committee-backs-app-store-age-verification-requirement-for-minors-with-amendments-and-implementation-delay","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250481-7c10e919f03ab108c1b67cd9dddcf28b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418657&Signature=GLuh0UvDyXaFc9C9X7oLddY1np7pdzNhlAdKQDDq6T35~E~j0bNWe-EagZUJ2zkZZrsCApRXNdN2by6SDj-V8c2EhKEaSCZyzTV3kEJzWYkvhB2uJSJIl2SZl0xWyu5JVS-AwKOHURBAtZmVa4lKujlC66Ie7HGQ1Rah9pnOT88euA31lT~P9h3cXeacmC52B7vFYeZXcunaFdAGMVcOE3~QK-f5tB9lD7cnWS1HMBkoTHdmF139civ3h338sfkMlx8UBBHlTnB6ygchJK5sMxJKxTG90TlgjrfsjGNsEtg~jD7REUcN~r0qC5OICloHknVTnBLlce6jYlzdnUKtsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","Lawmakers on Monday moved House Bill 570 forward with amendments after hours of testimony from parents, students, technology experts and industry groups about age verification, parental control tools and constitutional concerns.

Representative Jack Carver, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee HB 570 \"requires app stores to age verify and obtain parents' permission anytime a teen wants to download an app,\" arguing the two dominant app stores provide a single effective level to perform verification. \"The ability for these companies to do it already exists,\" Carver said, citing Apple’s Family Sharing and Google’s parental controls.

The committee adopted a negotiated amendment package (amendment set 2,164), which added definitions, clarified that developers who already are required by law to age-verify remain responsible for application-level verification, and set an effective date of July 1, 2026. Representative Denise Davis worked with the sponsor to add language ensuring developers must also \"ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.\"

Witnesses were split. Advocates and students urged the committee to move the bill, describing risks for minors including bullying, sexual predation and mental-health harms. Arun Kakkar, a high-school senior who testified with the Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council, said, \"Without age verification, how can we know that the apps are curated for minors?\" Other student witnesses and community groups described incidents of online grooming and the harms that can follow.

Industry and civil-liberties groups warned of privacy and constitutional problems. The Chamber of Progress and trade groups such as NetChoice said broad, store-level identity verification could require users to supply government IDs or credit-card data; they argued that would erode privacy and could run afoul of First Amendment protections around access to information. NetChoice noted legal challenges to related state laws in other jurisdictions and urged caution.

Carver and committee members addressed numerous edge cases raised in testimony — for emancipated minors, children in foster care, grandparents or guardians acting as supervisors, and children who purchase phones themselves. Committee members and witnesses said the bill’s delayed effective date and the adopted amendments were intended to provide time for implementation guidance and to reduce unintended harms.

Enforcement and penalties: The measure assigns enforcement to the attorney general’s consumer-protection authority, includes a cure period for violations, and proposes civil penalties that would be deposited to support consumer-protection activities. The committee adopted the amendment set and subsequently voted to report HB 570 favorably with amendments.

Why it matters: The bill would change how minor accounts are created and managed in app ecosystems and would shift some compliance obligations to app-store operators while retaining developer responsibilities in certain circumstances. It touches parental rights, privacy, free-speech and platform responsibility.

Next steps: The committee adopted amendment set 2,164 and voted to report HB 570 favorably with the negotiated amendments; the bill moves from committee to the next stage of the House process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations May 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Commerce approved House Bill 570 with negotiated amendments requiring app stores to verify age and obtain parental consent before minors download apps; the bill includes implementation lead time, an enforcement role for the attorney general and a provision preserving developer-level obligations.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",20967,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250486,"Committee hears national-security arguments and research concerns on proposed 'Genomic Security' bill",3381,1674000,5055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f&start=1674&end=5055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f/thumbnail_1674000.jpg","/articles/6250486/Louisiana/Committee-hears-national-security-arguments-and-research-concerns-on-proposed-Genomic-Security-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250486-3ed529d25ff860573b6da188b25c5c21/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418657&Signature=EBvljwBJ-yO1MBA75SlzYga03tImYJUtmj3MeMgyQcjWadsxtJahFw8aLWt7ckVqQlpL8NgE2K5QWHRTjZW3f3owCBo-QaQEb7mTzHcGyyAkKwrMgsBK340BQ9CT-knGg3sVg6gALxJwOIyd9NtCdyekebupLHILzYWd-EuVpYaVuGBYrECQGgOAn2V5OsPxRj8Rkx1QnxNg6Thg1Dunqz7bicrCaBBBAc2loBljxkqbQ4maXjVSh-cO7TnBzQv~t2EtE2WQnE0uWU1S1-0gGEXeUt0B98yv1~Ktexaq-EMc78FVMSms7dnBpnPPv4P7S~25JwOCXrnCyZPMKF5kKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 125, titled in committee as the \"Louisiana Genomic Security Act of 2025,\" drew an extended hearing on Monday as lawmakers weighed national-security warnings from outside experts against concerns from medical and research stakeholders about costs and the impact on scientific work.

Representative Ed Horton, the bill’s author, said the measure would \"safeguard individuals' genomic information from access by foreign adversaries\" by defining covered technologies, limiting remote access and prescribing penalties for unauthorized uses. Horton asked the committee to consider amendments under development with health-care stakeholders.

Experts who testified in favor framed the bill as a national-security necessity. Michael Lucci, founder of State Armour, told the committee \"the threat in this case ... is the Communist Party of China,\" and argued that companies tied to the Chinese state can be compelled under Chinese law to turn over data. He told the committee the People's Republic of China's 2017 national intelligence law requires companies to provide data on request and cited public concerns that certain Chinese-linked genomics firms were building large gene banks and discussing biological targeting strategies.

Jackie Deal, who has researched the Chinese military build-up, said federal entities including the Department of Defense and Department of Commerce have already acted against Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) and that federal reports, such as a National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology final report and a recent Government Accountability Office review, raise related questions about supply chains and federally funded research. \"The federal government is acting,\" Deal said, \"but even if the Defense Department puts BGI on a no-go list for the Pentagon, hospitals and other health-care providers can still use their services unless states act.\"

Committee members pressed the bill's author and witnesses on several fronts. Representative Domingue said she was concerned the bill could be read to tell medical research institutions how to conduct research, and she asked whether the bill would impede scientific work by restricting certain sequencers or software. Representative Jordan and others asked about costs and implementation timelines; witnesses and the sponsor acknowledged sequencing machines can range from roughly $100,000 to $1 million and said amendments were being drafted to make the law prospective (applying to new acquisitions) and not retroactive.

Proponents said the bill was being coordinated with hospitals and research centers; the author said the Louisiana Hospital Association was working with her on amendments. The committee also heard that similar measures have been introduced or passed in other states, including Idaho, Tennessee, Kansas, Montana, Arizona and Utah; the sponsor cited activity in Texas and Nebraska as well.

After extended questioning and technical discussion, Representative Horton and committee members agreed to continue negotiations with the hospital association and research stakeholders. The bill was temporarily passed over to allow the author to return with revised amendments for committee consideration.

Why it matters: The bill sits at the intersection of public-health research, national security and procurement rules. Sequencing machines and analysis software underpin genomic research and clinical testing; restrictions could affect hospitals, university labs and federally funded research programs.

Next steps: The author will work with hospitals and research institutions to refine amendments; the committee placed HB 125 in temporary passover and will revisit it when the sponsor returns with the negotiated amendment set.","Lawmakers and outside experts debated House Bill 125, which would limit use, storage and remote access to certain genomic sequencing technologies tied to foreign adversaries; the bill was temporarily passed over to allow technical amendments and consultation with hospitals and research institutions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250491,"House committee urges PSC to prioritize Cleco headquarters jobs if utility is sold",1597,156000,1753000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f&start=156&end=1753","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3200677-20cee859b46a61e6479ad5c868df599f/thumbnail_156000.jpg","/articles/6250491/Louisiana/House-committee-urges-PSC-to-prioritize-Cleco-headquarters-jobs-if-utility-is-sold","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250491-8c382f0797ef6bd8aa463148f7141fc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770418657&Signature=XS7MVYE~tB-F1-bI9mQ7YZTPOq8BiHiTnizPmKP5agL7mz5rjN3oVvjI43lO8R03jF2q~zMgMoQ9co5fgS0xO4xg4Qty37yVFAt48ZF5IGSBdKtPKedctN71j6wDEc6vEhKH7zsr-z8jDabVOk~gt3zdVQyxxxl8sb4nCuopl4SXCVbMrZOaoOpNao5N-ucHMYoaC8xtdMa2QgywbLUHqHvVBGInuTfFRTbIy7j-FryF3xBBBNXmkUwgNVBHOkgHyvOtVXOhtNIO43DhKMz7dkfX739WNLSvaQSOuv6riPq7HqFqzSFa5PuVwv7u-st5F4-YKXSWLqNwmdUM6mFZDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Commerce on Monday voted to send a resolution urging the Louisiana Public Service Commission and the Louisiana portion of Cleco Power to consider protections for local jobs if the regulated utility is sold.

Speaker Pro Tempore Neil Johnson, who introduced House Concurrent Resolution 11, said the request was aimed at preserving positions at Cleco’s corporate headquarters in Pineville. \"I do not want them to sell the company unless they preserve those jobs,\" Johnson said, citing concern for roughly 600 permanent headquarters positions and additional service jobs tied to operations in central Louisiana.

The resolution asks the PSC and Cleco to use the commission’s established criteria — a 1994 General Order that lists 18 factors — when reviewing any transfer of ownership or control of utilities under PSC jurisdiction. Johnson told the committee that one of those factors requires the PSC to determine whether a transfer would be \"fair and reasonable to the affected public utility or common carrier employees.\"

Brandon Frey, executive secretary of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, told the committee the PSC imposed detailed conditions when Cleco last changed ownership in 2016. \"We issued a ... order with 39 pages of regulatory commitments that the company agreed to, 77 in total,\" Frey said. He said commitments 6 through 15 \"directly deal with\" staffing and corporate headquarters commitments and that the PSC required Cleco to maintain its headquarters and staffing levels in Pineville as part of the prior approval.

Members of the committee voiced support for the resolution and raised questions about the PSC’s authority and public notice. Representative Michael Knox said protecting employment stability in the company’s headquarters also helps regional economic stability. Representative Jordan asked whether mandating job preservation would prevent savings that might benefit ratepayers; Johnson and Frey both said the PSC already weighs multiple factors — including employee impacts and rate consequences — when it approves a sale.

The committee moved the resolution favorably by voice vote. There was no roll-call recorded in the committee minutes.

Why it matters: Cleco is a major employer in central Louisiana; preserving headquarters jobs would have local economic and community effects and could be a condition attached to any change in ownership authorized by the PSC.

Committee action: Representative Knox moved to report HCR 11 favorably; there were no objections and the motion carried. The resolution asks the PSC to \"please not approve any sale that does not protect and maintain those jobs,\" language Johnson explained is intended as a formal request rather than a state mandate.

Context and next steps: Frey told the committee the PSC’s prior approvals for Cleco included extensive commitments on staffing, capital structure and rate protections; Johnson said the measure is meant to reiterate to the PSC the local concern and to \"belt and suspenders\" the PSC’s prior approach. The resolution does not change PSC law or create a new statutory requirement; it is a legislative request to the commission.","The House Committee on Commerce voted to report a resolution asking the Louisiana Public Service Commission and Cleco Power to consider preserving Pineville headquarters jobs if the regulated utility is sold, after lawmakers and a PSC official described previous sale conditions that protected local staffing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee backs app-store age-verification requirement for minors with amendments and implementation delay

Committee hears national-security arguments and research concerns on proposed 'Genomic Security' bill

House committee urges PSC to prioritize Cleco headquarters jobs if utility is sold