The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to advance the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a major step for the landmark legislation aimed at holding social media platforms accountable for harms to minors. However, a separate bill requiring age verification for pornography websites failed to clear the committee due to a lack of quorum, disappointing advocates who had hoped for swift action.
The age verification measure, known as the Shielding Children's Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, was introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). It would mandate that adult websites implement age verification technology to prevent minors from accessing their content. While the bill is less stringent than other proposals this session, its passage in the House and consideration in the Senate had been seen as a sign of growing congressional interest in the issue.
During the markup, the committee voted 15-13 along party lines in a voice vote to advance the SCREEN Act, but the vote was invalidated because at least 10 members were not physically present, failing to meet the majority quorum requirement. Committee rules require a majority of members to be physically present to cast votes, even though a third can start a markup.
The SCREEN Act drew support from some child safety advocates but faced criticism from privacy and free speech groups. It also exposed divisions among major technology firms over who should be responsible for verifying users' ages.
KOSA, which seeks to impose a duty of care on platforms to prevent harms like eating disorders, suicide, substance abuse, and sexual exploitation, is expected to pass the full Senate. However, its path forward is complicated by significant differences with the House version, which passed last month as part of a broader package. The House bill removed the duty of care provision, a redline for the Senate's co-authors, Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who have called the House package "dead on arrival."
"I cannot emphasize enough the urgency of stopping the hideous harms done by social media and overcoming the powerful coalition of lobbyists and lawyers that Big Tech has mustered against this bill," Blumenthal said after the markup. "We need to prevail in conference with the House after we get it across the finish line."
The committee also advanced three other bills: the Youth AI Privacy Act, the Children's Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026, and the CHATBOT Act. The broader safety push continues as lawmakers grapple with how to protect children online without infringing on civil liberties.
The advancement of these bills comes amid a broader congressional focus on technology and child safety, with other committees tackling issues like contempt proceedings and spending clashes. The Senate's ability to reconcile its version of KOSA with the House's will be a key test for the legislation's future.
