Bohacek: Bill to protect children online moves to governor

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 7:00 PM

A bill authored by State Senator Mike Bohacek that would protect children online was approved by the Senate and will now move to the governor's desk for his consideration.

Senate Enrolled Act 17 would require websites that publish pornographic content to use reasonable age verification methods. Reasonable age verification methods include a mobile credential, an independent third-party age verification service, and any commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional data.

Senator Bohacek said, "We have an obligation to protect children from harmful content on the internet. Putting restrictions on pornographic content online would prevent children from accessing it easily, but still allow adults to access it with proper age verification."

If minors access these websites because the website does not take the required steps to verify age, the Attorney General can bring a lawsuit seeking damages or injunctive relief. SEA 17 would not apply to news websites, cloud service providers, internet providers, and search engines.

"I'm glad to see this bill move to the governor's desk for further consideration," Bohacek said. "Indiana has the opportunity to set an example for other states to protect children all over the country, and I am pleased to have championed this bill as it moved through the legislature."

To track bills on the governor's desk, click here.

State Senator Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores) represents Senate District 8, which includes Starke County and portions of La Porte, Marshall, and St. Joseph counties.