HB4976 - Relating to age verification requirements for digital service providers.

  89R5079 SCR-D     By: Schatzline H.B. No. 4976       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to age verification requirements for digital service   providers.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 509.051, Business &   Commerce Code, as added by Chapter 795 (H.B. 18), Acts of the 88th   Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 509.051.  DIGITAL SERVICE PROVIDER DUTY TO REGISTER AND   VERIFY AGE OF USER.          SECTION 2.  Sections 509.051(a) and (b), Business & Commerce   Code, as added by Chapter 795 (H.B. 18), Acts of the 88th   Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, are amended to read as follows:          (a)  A digital service provider may not enter into an   agreement with a person to create an account with a digital service   unless :                 (1)   the person has registered the person's age with the   digital service provider ; and                 (2)     if the person is 18 years of age or older, the   digital service provider has verified the person's age using a   commercially reasonable age verification method .          (b)  A person who registers the person's age as younger than   18 years of age is considered to be a known minor to the digital   service provider until :                 (1)  on or after the person's 18th birthday ; and                 (2)     the digital service provider verifies the person's   age using a commercially reasonable age verification method .          SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   an agreement entered into on or after the effective date of this   Act.  An agreement entered into before the effective date of this   Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the   effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for   that purpose.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.