Author voluntarily defers bill on social-media notifications after First Amendment concerns

Representative Freeman voluntarily deferred House Bill 290, a proposal that would have required new notifications and information related to social media and asked the Office of Public Health within the Louisiana Department of Health to provide certain materials.

The bill, read into the record by committee clerk Ms. Vygras, sought "to provide for definitions, to provide for notifications, to provide for the creation of information, to require the Office of Public Health within the Louisiana Department of Health to provide certain information and to provide for related matters," according to Vygras's summary.

Freeman told the committee she had received calls about the measure and said she planned to withdraw it for further work. "I'm gonna pull, defer the bill myself, voluntarily defer it," Freeman said, and added she recognized constitutional and enforcement questions, saying the proposal "would violate First Amendment rights, etcetera" and that it raised difficult practical issues about regulating children's accounts.

Representative Newell moved to voluntarily defer the bill; the committee registered no objections and the bill was deferred. The record shows no vote tally was taken on the motion.

Members did not take additional action on the substance of the measure at the meeting. Freeman said she will continue to work on parameters and consult with colleagues who have filed similar legislation.

The discussion occurred during the committee's consideration of House Bill 290 and concluded with the formal motion to defer.