Committee approves PROTECT Act to require clear reporting buttons for child‑exploitation on covered platforms

Representative Slagle told the committee HB220 aims to make reporting CSAM and online enticement usable and actionable by requiring covered platforms to maintain an accessible, electronic report mechanism that routes reports to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) protocols. She said the bill responds to litigation and real‑world barriers users face when trying to report abuse material, citing a court case (Doe v. Twitter) and ongoing federal attention.

Amendment set 2643 clarified that platforms whose predominant purpose is technical support are excluded and refined the definition of a report mechanism as an electronic feature that allows users to notify the platform about suspected child sexual‑abuse material. Committee members pressed on scope: sponsors and members discussed exclusions for nonprofits, thresholds for small businesses, and how the attorney general would handle complaints. The sponsor said enforcement would provide a 30‑day cure period before civil penalties and that the attorney general would have discretion to investigate and pursue civil remedies; the penalty cited in discussion was $5,000 per violation after the cure period, to be pursued at the AG’s discretion.

Members noted constitutional and practical limits: Section 230 immunity and First Amendment concerns limit regulation of content; this bill, sponsor and committee emphasized, regulates reporting mechanisms, not content. The committee adopted amendments and reported HB220 favorable.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 951 (bill read); topfinish SEG 1423 (reported favorable).