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| 5 | 4 | | State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S1/30/23 H2/9/23 H3/2/23 H3/7/23 1 |
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| 6 | 5 | | 94th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 7 | 6 | | Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 66 3 |
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| 8 | 7 | | 4 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Senators Dees, J. Petty, J. Bryant 5 |
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| 10 | 9 | | By: Representatives McAlindon, Bentley, K. Brown, C. Cooper, Crawford, Haak, Long, Lundstrum, 6 |
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| 11 | 10 | | McGrew, Rose 7 |
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| 12 | 11 | | 8 |
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| 13 | 12 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 9 |
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| 14 | 13 | | AN ACT CONCERNING MA TERIAL HARMFUL TO MI NORS; TO 10 |
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| 15 | 14 | | CREATE THE PROTECTIO N OF MINORS FROM DIS TRIBUTION OF 11 |
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| 16 | 15 | | HARMFUL MATERIAL ACT ; TO ESTABLISH LIABI LITY FOR THE 12 |
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| 17 | 16 | | PUBLICATION OR DISTR IBUTION OF MATERIAL HARMFUL TO 13 |
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| 18 | 17 | | MINORS ON THE INTERN ET; TO IMPOSE DUTIES ON 14 |
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| 19 | 18 | | PUBLISHERS AND DISTRIBUTOR S OF MATERIAL HARMFU L TO 15 |
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| 20 | 19 | | MINORS; TO REQUIRE R EASONABLE AGE VERIFI CATION; TO 16 |
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| 21 | 20 | | PROVIDE FOR INDIVIDU AL RIGHTS OF ACTION; TO ALLOW FOR 17 |
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| 22 | 21 | | ATTORNEY'S FEES, COU RT COSTS, AND PUNITI VE DAMAGES; 18 |
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| 23 | 22 | | AND FOR OTHER PURPOS ES. 19 |
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| 24 | 23 | | 20 |
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| 25 | 24 | | 21 |
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| 26 | 25 | | Subtitle 22 |
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| 27 | 26 | | TO CREATE THE PROTECTION OF MINORS FROM 23 |
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| 28 | 27 | | DISTRIBUTION OF HARMFUL MATERIAL ACT; TO 24 |
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| 29 | 28 | | ESTABLISH LIABILITY FOR THE PUBLICATION 25 |
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| 30 | 29 | | OR DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIAL HARMFUL TO 26 |
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| 31 | 30 | | MINORS ON THE INTERNET; AND TO REQUIRE 27 |
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| 32 | 31 | | REASONABLE AGE VERIFICATION. 28 |
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| 33 | 32 | | 29 |
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| 34 | 33 | | 30 |
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| 35 | 34 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 31 |
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| 36 | 35 | | 32 |
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| 37 | 36 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 4, Chapter 88, is amended to add an 33 |
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| 38 | 37 | | additional subchapter to read as follows: 34 |
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| 39 | 38 | | 35 |
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| 40 | 39 | | Subchapter 11 — Protection of Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material 36 As Engrossed: S1/30/23 H2/9/23 H3/2/23 H3/7/23 SB66 |
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| 41 | 40 | | |
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| 43 | 42 | | |
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| 44 | 43 | | |
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| 45 | 44 | | Act 1 |
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| 46 | 45 | | 2 |
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| 47 | 46 | | 4-88-1101. Title. 3 |
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| 48 | 47 | | This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Protection of 4 |
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| 49 | 48 | | Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material Act". 5 |
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| 50 | 49 | | 6 |
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| 51 | 50 | | 4-88-1102. Legislative findings and intent. 7 |
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| 52 | 51 | | (a) The General Assembly finds that: 8 |
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| 53 | 52 | | (1) Pornography is creating a public health crisis and is a 9 |
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| 54 | 53 | | corroding influence on minors; 10 |
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| 55 | 54 | | (2) Due to advances in technology, the widespread availability 11 |
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| 56 | 55 | | of the internet, and limited age verification requirements, minors are 12 |
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| 57 | 56 | | exposed to pornography at too early of an age; 13 |
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| 58 | 57 | | (3) Pornography contributes to the hyp er-sexualization of 14 |
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| 59 | 58 | | minors; and 15 |
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| 60 | 59 | | (4) Pornography may: 16 |
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| 61 | 60 | | (A) Lead to: 17 |
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| 62 | 61 | | (i) Low self-esteem; 18 |
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| 63 | 62 | | (ii) Body image disorders; 19 |
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| 64 | 63 | | (iii) An increase in problematic sexual activity at 20 |
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| 65 | 64 | | younger ages; 21 |
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| 66 | 65 | | (iv) Increased desire among minors to engage in 22 |
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| 67 | 66 | | risky sexual behavior; and 23 |
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| 68 | 67 | | (v) Difficulty in forming or maintaining positive, 24 |
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| 69 | 68 | | intimate relationships; 25 |
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| 70 | 69 | | (B) Impact brain development and function; 26 |
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| 71 | 70 | | (C) Contribute to emotional and medical illnesses; 27 |
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| 72 | 71 | | (D) Shape deviant sexual arousal; and 28 |
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| 73 | 72 | | (E) Promote problematic or harmful sexual behaviors and 29 |
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| 74 | 73 | | addiction. 30 |
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| 75 | 74 | | (b) It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide a civil remedy 31 |
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| 76 | 75 | | for damages against commercial entities that distribute material harmful to 32 |
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| 77 | 76 | | minors. 33 |
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| 78 | 77 | | 34 |
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| 79 | 78 | | 4-88-1103. Definitions. 35 |
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| 80 | 79 | | As used in this subchapter: 36 As Engrossed: S1/30/23 H2/9/23 H3/2/23 H3/7/23 SB66 |
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| 81 | 80 | | |
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| 83 | 82 | | |
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| 84 | 83 | | |
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| 85 | 84 | | (1)(A) "Commercial entity" means a corporation, limited 1 |
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| 86 | 85 | | liability company, partnership, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or 2 |
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| 87 | 86 | | other legally recognized entity. 3 |
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| 88 | 87 | | (B) "Commercial entity" includes a third party vendor; 4 |
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| 89 | 88 | | (2) "Digitized identification card" means a data file available 5 |
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| 90 | 89 | | on a mobile device that has connectivity to the internet through a state -6 |
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| 91 | 90 | | approved application that allows the mobile device to download the data file 7 |
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| 92 | 91 | | from the Office of Driver Services that conta ins all of the data elements 8 |
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| 93 | 92 | | visible on the face and back of a license or identification card and displays 9 |
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| 94 | 93 | | the current status of the license or identification card, including valid, 10 |
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| 95 | 94 | | expired, cancelled, suspended, revoked, active, or inactive; 11 |
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| 96 | 95 | | (3) "Distribute" means to issue, sell, give, provide, deliver, 12 |
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| 97 | 96 | | transfer, transmute, circulate, or disseminate by any means; 13 |
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| 98 | 97 | | (4) "Internet" means the international computer network of both 14 |
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| 99 | 98 | | federal and nonfederal interoperable packet switched data networks; 15 |
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| 100 | 99 | | (5) "Material harmful to minors" means: 16 |
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| 101 | 100 | | (A) Any material that the average person, applying 17 |
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| 102 | 101 | | contemporary community standards, would find, taking the material as a whole 18 |
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| 103 | 102 | | and with respect to minors, is designed to appeal to, or is designed to 19 |
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| 104 | 103 | | pander to, prurient interest; 20 |
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| 105 | 104 | | (B) Any of the following material that exploits, is 21 |
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| 106 | 105 | | devoted to, or principally consists of descriptions of actual, simulated, or 22 |
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| 107 | 106 | | animated displays or depictions of any of the following, in a manner patently 23 |
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| 108 | 107 | | offensive with respect to minor s: 24 |
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| 109 | 108 | | (i) Nipple of the female breast, pubic hair, anus, 25 |
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| 110 | 109 | | vulva, or genitals; 26 |
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| 111 | 110 | | (ii) Touching, caressing, or fondling of nipples, 27 |
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| 112 | 111 | | breasts, buttocks, the anus, or genitals; or 28 |
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| 113 | 112 | | (iii) Sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, 29 |
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| 114 | 113 | | bestiality, oral copulat ion, flagellation, excretory functions, exhibitions 30 |
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| 115 | 114 | | of a sexual act and any other sexual act; and 31 |
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| 116 | 115 | | (C) The material taken as a whole lacks serious literary, 32 |
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| 117 | 116 | | artistic, political, and scientific value for minors; 33 |
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| 118 | 117 | | (6) "Minor" means an individual under e ighteen (18) years of 34 |
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| 119 | 118 | | age; 35 |
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| 120 | 119 | | (7) "News-gathering organization" means: 36 As Engrossed: S1/30/23 H2/9/23 H3/2/23 H3/7/23 SB66 |
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| 121 | 120 | | |
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| 123 | 122 | | |
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| 124 | 123 | | |
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| 125 | 124 | | (A) An employee of a newspaper, news publication, or news 1 |
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| 126 | 125 | | source, printed or published on an online or mobile platform, of current news 2 |
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| 127 | 126 | | and public interest, while operating as an em ployee of a news-gathering 3 |
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| 128 | 127 | | organization, who can provide documentation of the employment with the 4 |
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| 129 | 128 | | newspaper, news publication, or news source; or 5 |
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| 130 | 129 | | (B) An employee of a radio broadcast station, television 6 |
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| 131 | 130 | | broadcast station, cable television operator, or wire service while operating 7 |
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| 132 | 131 | | as an employee of a news -gathering organization, who can provide 8 |
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| 133 | 132 | | documentation of the employment; 9 |
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| 134 | 133 | | (8) "Publish" means to communicate or make information available 10 |
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| 135 | 134 | | to another person or entity on a publicly available website; 11 |
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| 136 | 135 | | (9) "Reasonable age verification" means to confirm that a person 12 |
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| 137 | 136 | | seeking to access published material that may have a substantial portion of 13 |
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| 138 | 137 | | material that is harmful to minors is at least eighteen (18) years of age; 14 |
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| 139 | 138 | | (10) "Substantial portion" means more than thirty-three and 15 |
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| 140 | 139 | | thirty-three hundredths percent (33.33%) of total material on a website which 16 |
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| 141 | 140 | | meets the definition of material that is harmful to minors as defined by this 17 |
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| 142 | 141 | | section; and 18 |
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| 143 | 142 | | (11)(A) "Transactional data" means a sequence of inform ation 19 |
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| 144 | 143 | | that documents an exchange, agreement, or transfer between an individual, 20 |
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| 145 | 144 | | commercial entity, or a third party used for the purpose of satisfying a 21 |
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| 146 | 145 | | request or event. 22 |
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| 147 | 146 | | (B) "Transactional data" includes without limitation 23 |
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| 148 | 147 | | records from mortgage, educa tion, and employment entities. 24 |
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| 149 | 148 | | 25 |
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| 150 | 149 | | 4-88-1104. Reasonable age verification methods. 26 |
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| 151 | 150 | | (a) A commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method 27 |
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| 152 | 151 | | before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of 28 |
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| 153 | 152 | | material that is harmful to minors. 29 |
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| 154 | 153 | | (b) Reasonable age verification methods under subsection (a) of this 30 |
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| 155 | 154 | | section include providing: 31 |
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| 156 | 155 | | (1) A digitized identification card, including a digital copy 32 |
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| 157 | 156 | | of a driver's license under § 27 -16-601 et seq.; 33 |
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| 158 | 157 | | (2) Government-issued identification; or 34 |
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| 159 | 158 | | (3) Any commercially reasonable age verification method that 35 |
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| 160 | 159 | | holds an Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2). 36 As Engrossed: S1/30/23 H2/9/23 H3/2/23 H3/7/23 SB66 |
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| 161 | 160 | | |
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| 163 | 162 | | |
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| 164 | 163 | | |
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| 165 | 164 | | 1 |
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| 166 | 165 | | 4-88-1105. Liability for publishers and distributors of material 2 |
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| 167 | 166 | | harmful to minors. 3 |
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| 168 | 167 | | (a)(1) A commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes 4 |
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| 169 | 168 | | or distributes material that is harmful to minors on the internet from a 5 |
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| 170 | 169 | | website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to 6 |
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| 171 | 170 | | minors is liable if the commercial entity fails to perform reasonable age 7 |
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| 172 | 171 | | verification to verify the age of the individual attempting to access the 8 |
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| 173 | 172 | | material. 9 |
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| 174 | 173 | | (2) If a commercial entity or third party vendor performs a 10 |
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| 175 | 174 | | reasonable age verification, the commercial entity shall not retain any 11 |
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| 176 | 175 | | identifying information of the individual after access to the material has 12 |
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| 177 | 176 | | been granted. 13 |
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| 178 | 177 | | (b) A commercial entity that violates this subchapter is liable to an 14 |
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| 179 | 178 | | individual for damages resulting from a minor accessing the material harmful 15 |
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| 180 | 179 | | to minors, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees a s ordered by 16 |
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| 181 | 180 | | the court. 17 |
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| 182 | 181 | | (c) A commercial entity that is found to have knowingly retained 18 |
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| 183 | 182 | | identifying information of an individual after access to the material has 19 |
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| 184 | 183 | | been granted is liable to the individual for damages resulting from retaining 20 |
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| 185 | 184 | | the identifying information, including court costs and reasonable attorney's 21 |
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| 186 | 185 | | fees as ordered by the court. 22 |
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| 187 | 186 | | (d) This section does not: 23 |
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| 188 | 187 | | (1) Apply to a news or public interest broadcast, website video, 24 |
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| 189 | 188 | | report, or event; 25 |
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| 190 | 189 | | (2) Affect the rights of a news -gathering organization; or 26 |
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| 191 | 190 | | (3) Apply to cloud service providers. 27 |
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| 192 | 191 | | (e) An internet service provider, or any of its affiliates or 28 |
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| 193 | 192 | | subsidiaries or search engines shall not violate this subchapter solely by 29 |
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| 194 | 193 | | providing access or connection to or from a website or othe r information or 30 |
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| 195 | 194 | | content on the internet or a facility, system, or network that is not under 31 |
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| 196 | 195 | | that internet service provider's control, including transmission, 32 |
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| 197 | 196 | | downloading, intermediate storage, access software, or other service that 33 |
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| 198 | 197 | | provides access or conn ectivity, to the extent the internet service provider 34 |
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| 199 | 198 | | is not responsible for the creation of the content or the communication that 35 |
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| 200 | 199 | | constitutes material that is harmful to minors. 36 As Engrossed: S1/30/23 H2/9/23 H3/2/23 H3/7/23 SB66 |
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| 201 | 200 | | |
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