Rep. Gottheimer and Rep. Stefanik Introduce Parents Decide Act to Require Age Verification on Devices
This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and is currently sitting with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It has been with this committee since April 12, 2026, and no further action has taken place. Most bills do not move past this stage, and there is no sign of progress at this time.
The bill has strong bipartisan support from prominent members of both parties, but it faces potential hurdles from tech companies concerned about privacy and technical implementation.
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LGBTQ youth who may not have supportive parents could lose access to online communities, mental health resources, and identity-affirming content if their parent or guardian uses the parental control features to restrict what they can access. The bill gives parents explicit power to control what minors access on their devices, which could be harmful for teens in unsupportive households.
“ensure the parent or legal guardian of a user of an operating system who is under 18 years of age is allowed to control what such user is allowed to access on a device.”
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer unveiled the Parents Decide Act, which would require operating systems like Apple and Google to verify users' ages when setting up new devices. The bill aims to give parents more control over what their kids can access, ensuring age settings flow directly to apps and AI.
The proposed 'Parents Decide Act' would require device makers to verify users' ages during setup and allow parents to set content controls from the start. The bill ensures that age and parental settings carry over to apps and platforms, creating a consistent standard for child safety.
Rep. Gottheimer introduced the bipartisan Parents Decide Act at the Ridgewood YMCA. The legislation requires device manufacturers to verify user ages and set up parental controls on apps and AI systems, addressing vulnerabilities in how children interact with emerging technologies.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Parents Decide Act
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