KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Wyoming

HB0085 • 2024

Social media-parental consent for minors required.

AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; requiring parental consent for minors under age eighteen (18) to use a social media platform; providing definitions; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Children Parental Rights
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representative Harshman
Last action
2024-02-14
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so there is no official text or summary available beyond what was provided in the metadata and excerpt.

Social Media Parental Consent for Minors

This bill requires social media companies to obtain parental consent before allowing minors under age 18 in Wyoming to use their platforms.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines a minor as someone who is younger than 18 and lives in Wyoming, unless they are married or legally emancipated.
  • Requires social media companies to get permission from parents or guardians for minors to open accounts on their platforms.
  • Gives the attorney general authority to create rules about how parental consent should be given and verified.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Minors under age 18 in Wyoming who want to use social media platforms.
  • Parents or guardians of minors in Wyoming.
  • Social media companies operating in Wyoming.

Terms To Know

Account holder
A person who has an account on a social media platform.
Minor
Someone under the age of 18 who lives in Wyoming and is not married or legally emancipated.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass during its session.
  • It does not specify what happens if a minor uses social media without parental consent.
  • Details about how parents can give consent are left to the attorney general's rules.

Bill History

  1. 2024-02-14 House

    H Failed Introduction 36-25-1-0-0

  2. 2024-01-29 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-01-26 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0156
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0156
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0085

Social media-parental consent for minors required.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Berger, Byron, Crago, Lawley, Olsen and Washut and Senator(s) Barlow, Boner, Landen and Schuler

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; requiring parental consent for minors under age eighteen (18) to use a social media platform; providing definitions; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 40
‑
32
‑
101 and 40
‑
32
‑
102 are created to read:

CHAPTER 32
SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION

40
‑
32
‑
101.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this chapter:

(i)

"Account holder" means a person who has or who opens an account or profile to use a social media platform;

(ii)

"Minor" means a person who is a resident of Wyoming, who is under the age of eighteen (18) and who is not married or has not become emancipated as provided in W.S. 14
‑
1
‑
201 through 14
‑
1
‑
206;

(iii)

"Social media company" means a person that is an interactive computer service that provides a social media platform for use;

(iv)

"Social media platform" means an online forum that a social media company makes available for an account holder to create a profile, upload posts, view the posts of other account holders or interact with other

account holders or users.

40
‑
32
‑
102.

Social media platforms; parental consent required; remedies.

(a)

No social media company shall allow a minor to be an account holder on the social media company's social media platform unless the social media company obtains the express consent of the minor's parent or guardian.

(b)

Each social media company shall deny access to its social media platform for each account holder who fails to meet the verification requirements specified in subsection (a) of this section until the social media company receives the express parental consent required under subsection (a) of this section.

(c)

The attorney general shall promulgate all rules for:

(i)

The process by which a social media company can obtain parental consent for a minor seeking to open an account and be an account holder on a social media platform;

(ii)

The method by which a parent or guardian of a minor can provide consent for a minor to open an account and be an account holder on a social media platform;

(iii)

The methods by which social media companies shall verify the authenticity of the parental consent provided for a minor to open an account and be an account holder on a social media platform.

(d)

The attorney general may pursue any remedy authorized under the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act against a social media company that fails to comply with this article.

Section 2
.

The attorney general shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 3
.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(b)

Section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2024.

(END)

1
HB0085