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Senator Rasmussen moves A12 to clarify liability; committee adopts change to Senate File 1119
Summary
The committee adopted amendment A12 to Senate File 1119 to add definitions and to clarify that telecommunication services (as defined in federal code) are not subject to the bill’s liability provisions; the sponsor signaled further work with advocates on a safe-harbor draft for app platforms.
Senator Rasmussen moved amendment A12 to Senate File 1119, and the Commerce Committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. The amendment adds and refines definitions intended to focus liability on developers and users of certain new media technologies while excluding telecommunication services as defined under federal law.
The amendment was presented as a drafting update to align the bill’s language with provisions that also appear in the Commerce omnibus package. Committee counsel said A12 lines the definitions up with language being included in the larger Commerce omnibus bill and added an immunity subdivision; otherwise, the bill’s substantive text remains largely as previously heard in Commerce.
Members also discussed a proposed safe-harbor draft offered by stakeholders, including app-store actors. Committee discussion noted concern that the stakeholder draft could be too broad, potentially shielding major platforms; the bill author said they would continue to meet with advocates to explore narrower language that preserves the bill’s intent while addressing industry concerns.
After the A12 voice vote, the committee recommended Senate File 1119 to pass and be referred to General Orders. The recommendation was made without a recorded roll call for the amendment; the transcript records a voice vote for A12 and the subsequent motion to recommend passage.
Why this matters: the amendment tightens statutory definitions that determine who can be held liable for harms tied to emerging media or automated content-generation tools, while explicitly excluding telecommunication carriers from liability under the revised language. Lawmakers indicated further negotiations with stakeholders are expected before the bill reaches the floor.
What’s next: the committee recommended the bill to General Orders for further consideration.
