Bill > HB2921

This bill establishes new provisions for civil liability concerning the publication or distribution of material deemed "sexual material harmful to minors" on the internet, defining "minor" as anyone under eighteen years old. Commercial entities, which are legally recognized businesses, that knowingly publish or distribute such material on websites, including social media platforms, where more than one-third of the content is harmful to minors, must implement "age verification" methods. Age verification can involve requiring users to provide "digital identification" (information stored digitally proving identity) or use a commercial system that checks age through government-issued identification or by analyzing transactional data (records of exchanges or agreements). Importantly, any entity performing age verification cannot retain an individual's identifying information. The bill includes exceptions for bona fide news organizations and public interest broadcasts, and it clarifies that internet service providers, search engines, and cloud service providers are not liable for simply providing access to content they did not create. The Attorney General is empowered to enforce these provisions, with potential penalties including daily fines of $10,000 for operating a non-compliant website, $10,000 for retaining identifying information, and up to $250,000 if minors access harmful material due to a violation.

Health and Social Services

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2921&year=2026&code=R