FSC: California's Porn Age Verification Bill Defeated Over Budget Concerns

FSC: California's Porn Age Verification Bill Defeated Over Budget Concerns

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California legislature’s age verification bill, one of numerous AV bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn activists, will not be moving forward, Free Speech Coalition reported Tuesday.

The bill, an FSC statement explained, “is effectively dead after its potential price tag landed it in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File.”

As XBIZ reported, AB 3080 passed unanimously in the state Assembly with bipartisan support in May, and was being considered by the state Senate.

The Free Speech Coalition, the group’s statement explained, “was active in its opposition to AB 3080, testifying against the bill in committee hearings, meeting with legislators, and rallying allies, industry members and fans to speak out against the bill.”

AB 3080 was introduced by Republican Assemblymember Juan Alanis, a former police officer from Modesto, and would require all adult websites to take “reasonable steps” to ensure that only adults can view them.

In June, following extensive discussions with Alanis and the introduction of several amendments addressing FSC’s key concerns about effectiveness and adults’ freedom to access adult content, FSC withdrew its formal opposition to the bill.

Privacy and civil liberties advocates — including Electronic Frontier Foundation, FIRE, ACLU and Woodhull Freedom Foundation — remained actively opposed, FSC reported.

FSC Executive Director Alison Boden said, “We thank Assemblymember Alanis for working so earnestly with us throughout the life of this bill. We completely agree with the need to keep minors from accessing age-inappropriate content without unintentionally blocking millions of adult consumers. We continue to believe this is possible and look forward to working with him and other members of the Assembly in future sessions.”

Bills placed in the Senate Appropriations “suspense file,” the FSC statement explained, are “held until the state budget has been prepared and are then considered in relation to available revenue. California’s on-going budget deficit makes bills placed in suspense unlikely to move forward, effectively killing them.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

Show More