JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House of Representatives has given initial approval to HB 236, the state's proposed age verification law.
Introduced by Republican Representative Sherri Gallick, the law would apply to sites with at least one-third of their content considered "harmful to minors."
"Any commercial entity for which it is in the regular course of trade or business to publish or distribute in this state a website in which 33 percent or more of total material on the website is material harmful to minors shall be held liable if the entity fails to perform reasonable age-verification methods to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the material," the bill reads.
Gallick told Missourinet, "The internet has made pornography more accessible than ever, exposing minors to harmful content that can shape their behaviors, their expectations and even their mental health."
Added Democratic Representative Connie Steinmetz, a supporter of the bill, "My district did have firewalls, but these kids are really smart, and they know how to get around it. It interrupted my ability to teach because I was constantly kicking them off of porn sites, and we’re talking about third, fourth, and fifth graders."
While the bill does have some bipartisan support, not all of the legislature's Democrats are on board.
"This bill makes people feel better about the problem, doesn’t get rid of the problem," said Representative Keri Ingle, adding that the bill is "well-intentioned but completely ineffective," while also citing First Amendment and privacy concerns.
The bill requires one more vote in the Missouri House before it moves to the state's Senate.