LOS ANGELES — The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has laid out the legislative outlook for the industry in 2026.
The report follows:
We’re about six weeks into the New Year, and the legislative outlook for the adult industry is coming into clearer focus. While age verification still dominates the discussion and our fight, lawmakers have been pushing boundaries to find new ways to restrict, punish, or create liability for adult businesses. Below, a few key legislative trends:
Punitive Taxation
Utah and Virginia both introduced bills this year adding special taxes for adult content. The Virginia bill has been tabled until next year. If Utah passes its law, the state will join Alabama to become the second state to institute a content-based tax on adult speech.Consent Minefields
Arizona has moved rapidly on HB 2133, a new bill that would require complicated, contradictory documentation for any adult content uploaded online. As with the laws enacted in North Carolina and Alabama last year, Arizona’s bill, which requires every model release to be notarized, would make it impossible for adult businesses to operate in the state.VPN Restrictions
Michigan, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have both proposed significant VPN restrictions. While Michigan’s bill would ban VPNs entirely and is likely dead, the West Virginia and Wisconsin bills would require adult sites to identify and block all VPN traffic.Warning Labels
Wisconsin, Washington, and Missouri have all introduced bills mandating warning labels on adult content. While FSC was able to secure an ongoing injunction against a similar law in Texas, our case is ongoing and Alabama's health warning requirement remains in effect.We are still early in the legislative calendar for many states, so we expect to see more of these bills introduced. While FSC is fighting these laws whenever and wherever we can, we are a relatively small organization with limited resources. As such, we must always prioritize where to concentrate our legal and legislative efforts. Some of those decisions are made based on our ability to effect change. However, with so many simultaneous fights on top of age verification, we are eager to hear from members to understand which laws pose the greatest threat to your businesses.
For more information, visit FreeSpeechCoalition.com.
