Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to civil liability for certain commercial entities who publish or distribute obscene material on the internet
Sponsored by Sen. Kevin Alons (R)
Topics:Technology & privacyKids online & social mediaBooks & libraries
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 15, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 6, 2025
- Done: Senate committeeFebruary 26, 2025
- Done: Passes the SenateApril 29, 202646–0
- Skipped: House committeeSkipped
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 20, 202588–1
- Done: To the GovernorMay 13, 2026
- Done: Signed into lawJune 1, 2026
Became SF 443 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to SF 443 What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill creates civil liability for certain commercial entities who publish or distribute certain material on the internet. The bill defines “covered platform”, “identifying information”, “information content provider”, “interactive computer service”, “obscene material”, “provider”, and “reasonable age verification”. The bill makes a covered platform liable if the covered platform fails to perform reasonable age verification of individuals attempting to access obscene material published or distributed by the covered platform and the failure allows access by a minor to the obscene material.
Read the full explanation
Reasonable age verification includes the use of government-issued identification, financial documents or other documents that are reliable proxies for age, or any other commercially reasonable and reliable method. Reasonable age verification may be conducted by a third party, and the bill permits the use of cryptographic techniques to preserve anonymity and protect privacy. A covered platform or third party that performs required reasonable age verification is prohibited from retaining an individual’s identifying information after completing the individual’s reasonable age verification, and from distributing, selling, or disseminating an individual’s identifying information obtained through the performance of reasonable age verification. A covered platform or third party is subject to punitive and actual damages resulting from a minor’s access to obscene material, from the distribution, sale, or other dissemination of an individual’s identifying information obtained through the performance of reasonable age verification, or from the retention of identifying information, plus reasonable attorney fees and costs. Punitive damages for a violation of the bill’s provisions cannot exceed triple the aggregate amount of a plaintiff’s reasonable attorney fees and costs. The bill’s provisions are not to be construed as to impose civil liability on a user of an interactive computer service on the internet. The bill’s provisions are not to be construed as to impose liability on a provider solely for providing access or connection to a covered platform, or to obscene material on an internet site or in a facility, system, or network not under the provider’s control to the extent the provider is not responsible for the creation of the obscene material. The bill may be enforced exclusively through private civil actions, and the state and political subdivisions are prohibited from enforcing the provisions of the bill.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Changed since by amendment S-5231; see Amendments. Full bill text · What changed before it passed
Senate subcommittee
Named February 6, 2025. On February 10, 2025 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Iowa Code it changes
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
12 for · 0 against · 17 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.
- HF 2051 Relating to obscene material available on devices and imposing civil liability on entities…90th General Assembly · Subcommittee recommends passage · similarCleared committee
Matched by the wording of each bill’s explanation, or an identical title. Companion bills and renumbered versions of this bill aren’t listed; they’re the same bill.