Bill > HB3015

This bill establishes new rules for commercial entities that publish or distribute material considered "sexual material harmful to minors" online, defining such material as content that appeals to prurient interests, is patently offensive to minors, and lacks serious value for them. Specifically, any commercial entity, which includes businesses like corporations or sole proprietorships, that makes such material available on a website, including social media platforms, where more than one-third of the content is harmful to minors, must implement "age verification" methods. Age verification is defined as a process where a commercial entity confirms an individual's age, either through digital identification or a commercial system using government-issued identification or transactional data, which is information documenting exchanges or agreements. Importantly, the entity performing age verification cannot keep any identifying information of the individual. The bill also includes exceptions for bona fide news organizations and 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 violative website, $10,000 for improperly retaining identifying information, and up to $250,000 if minors accessed harmful material due to non-compliance.

Health and Social Services

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB3015&year=2026&code=R