Texas
Texas House passes bill banning minors from social media
A Texas bill that would penalize social media companies for allowing children to use their platforms is gaining momentum in the Legislature.
The House voted 125-20 Tuesday to advance legislation that would require tech companies to verify a user’s age when they are creating their social media accounts. House Bill 186, introduced by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, will now move to engrossment, meaning the bill will be prepared for movement to the Senate for consideration. A similar bill in 2023 failed to pass.
Patterson called HB186 one of the most important pieces of legislation he’s introduced. He said social media has exposed children to violent and explicit content that has often contributed to bullying and depression, among other harmful effects.
“Social media companies don’t care about what content they’re feeding you and your children,” Patterson said. “Rather, they want you hooked on their content.”
Tech companies such as Snap, X and Meta all have age requirements, but those safeguards are inadequate, Patterson said. He wants social media to be regulated in the same way as other adult-oriented products such as cigarettes, alcohol and tanning beds.
Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, questioned the bill’s impact on young entrepreneurs and athletes who use social media for business purposes. Patterson said the child’s parents can manage those accounts for their children.
But HB186’s possible passage also matters for businesses, because evolving regulations around minors’ digital access in Texas may prompt tech companies to reassess platform policies and compliance expectations, according to the Dallas Regional Chamber.
If HB186 becomes law, social media companies must delete a child’s account upon a parent’s or guardian’s request. The companies could also face penalties from the Texas attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division for failing to verify age, allowing the use of its platform by underage children, misusing personal data or not removing accounts.
While the bill classifies violations as deceptive trade practices under Texas law, it does not specify penalties, instead referring to existing statutes that outline potential remedies and consequences. These existing laws allow the attorney general to take action, which may include financial penalties.
Meta, X, TikTok and Snap declined invitations to testify before the Texas Joint Committee to Study the Effects of Media on Minors at the state Capitol in January.
“We’ve allowed social media companies unfiltered access to our children without these companies ever showing up to the table to testify on any legislation this body has attempted to pass,” Patterson said.
Ayaan Moledina, a high school student in Austin and federal policy director for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, said he opposes HB186 because it threatens free speech rights upheld by court rulings.
Instead of restricting access, Moledina said, Texas should require mental health warning labels on social platforms and the implementation of digital literacy education to help young people navigate social media safely while preserving their agency and rights.
“We need to be pushing for more mental health solutions that educate rather than restrict,” Moledina said. “Because if we just lock it up and act like it doesn’t exist, that doesn’t solve the problem.”
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.
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