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Subcommittee approves substitute in concept for SB 854 to limit minors’ default daily social media use to one hour
Summary
A substitute for Senate Bill 854 would set a one-hour-per-day default limit on a minor’s use of a service, allow parental adjustment, require age-verification data be used only for age checks, and delay effective date to Jan. 1. The subcommittee reported the substitute 7-0.
Senate Bill 854, as substituted in concept, would set a default limit of one hour per day per social-media service for minors, allow parents to increase or decrease that limit, restrict how age-verification data may be used, and move the effective date to Jan. 1. The subcommittee reported the substituted bill by a 7-0 vote.
Senator Van Bokkenberg, the bill’s sponsor, described the substitute as narrower than previous drafts: it removes the earlier “addictive feed” provisions and instead requires social-media platforms to limit a minor’s use of a service to one hour per day by default and to permit parents to change that setting. The substitute adds language that data used to determine age “can only be used for that” purpose and delays implementation to Jan. 1, the sponsor said.
Stakeholders showed signs of agreement and ongoing concern. Patrick Cushing, speaking for Meta, thanked the sponsor and said the substitute “provides flexibility” and mirrors restrictions Meta already applies to teen Instagram accounts; he said Meta could support the current approach. Other witnesses voiced opposition or concerns. Margaret Durkin of TechNet said she remained concerned about the age-verification requirement and the ability of some children to access parental documentation. Brianna January of Chamber of Progress said the one-hour default “could be weaponized against LGBTQ kids by anti-LGBTQ guardians” and warned limitations could disproportionately harm vulnerable youth; she also noted recent court challenges to related laws in other states.
Committee members asked about litigation risk and implementation. The sponsor said he was “pretty confident” the substitute’s narrower approach and stakeholder work reduced the risk of successful legal challenges but acknowledged uncertainty. The subcommittee first moved the substitute in concept and later “moved to report” the substitute; the clerk recorded a 7-0 vote to report SB 854 as substituted.
The record shows the substitute’s text was not in the committee packet at the moment of the in-concept vote; committee staff indicated formal language would be provided before the full committee. No final statutory text was adopted at the subcommittee stage.
