HB0043

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0269 Bill No.: HB0043 Effective: 7/1/2025 LSO No.: 25LSO-0269 Enrolled Act No.: HEA No. 0070 Chapter No.: 139 Prime Sponsor: Lawley Catch Title: Age verification for websites with harmful material. Has Report: No Subject: Requiring age verification for visiting websites with harmful material to minors. Summary/Major Elements: This act requires covered internet platforms (those that, in the regular course of business, create, host, or make available content that is material harmful to minors) to perform reasonable age verification to verify the age of all persons accessing or attempting to access material harmful to minors (material that is obscene or is child pornography). After verifying age, covered platforms cannot retain any identifying information. For purposes of this act, reasonable age verification methods include a driver's license, an identification card, a passport, a credit card or debit card (if ownership is limited to those who are age eighteen (18) and older), and any other means that can reliably and accurately determine whether a user of a covered platform is a minor. Any parent or guardian of a minor who is aggrieved by a violation of the verification requirements may bring a cause of action against the covered platform. Similarly, a person may bring a civil action against a covered platform if the covered platform knowingly retains identifying information. A covered platform that violates this act is liable for damages, costs, and attorney fees. A person who brings a successful cause of action against a covered platform is entitled to damages of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) for each instance that the covered platform failed to perform reasonable age verification methods to restrict a minor's access to harmful material. This act applies only to minors who are permanent residents of Wyoming, who have resided in Wyoming for at least one (1) year, or who have been present in Wyoming for at least thirty‑one (31) consecutive days. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.