Pennsylvania HB 1729: An Act providing for teledentistry; authorizing the regulation of teledentistry by the board; and providing for insurance coverage of teledentistry.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2129
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1729
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY GUZMAN, WEBSTER, KAZEEM, GIRAL, RIVERA, HADDOCK,
OTTEN AND D. WILLIAMS, JULY 14, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
JULY 14, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous offenses, providing
for children's online safety.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 63A
CHILDREN'S ONLINE SAFETY
Sec.
63A01. Scope of chapter.
63A02. Definitions.
63A03. Privacy by default.
63A04. Parental approvals.
63A05. Prohibition on dark patterns.
63A06. Nondiscrimination.
63A07. Limited liability.
63A08. Rulemaking authority.
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63A09. Civil actions.
§ 63A01. Scope of chapter.
This chapter relates to protections for children under 18
years of age who use websites, applications and online services.
§ 63A02. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Connected." When a covered minor or a covered minor's
parent has previously approved a connection with another user in
which the other user may privately contact the covered minor.
"Covered minor." A user who is determined by an operator,
via one or more commercially reasonable age verification
methods, to be under 18 years of age.
"Covered platform." A public or semipublic Internet website,
online service, online application or mobile application that:
(1) Is used by a covered minor in this Commonwealth.
(2) Allows users to construct a public or semipublic
profile for the purposes of using the website, service or
application.
(3) Allows users to create or post content that is
viewable by other users, including on message boards, in chat
rooms or through a landing page or main feed that presents
the user with content generated by other users.
(4) Allows users to privately message each other as a
significant part of the provision of the website, service or
application.
"Financial transaction." A transaction between users
involving any type of currency, including virtual currency, used
within a covered platform, whether or not the currency can be
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converted to fiat money.
"Operator." A person, business or other legal entity who
operates or provides a covered platform.
"Parent." A parent or legal guardian.
"Tag." To identify a second user in posted content in a
manner that links to the second user's profile.
"User." A user of a covered platform not acting as an
operator, or agent or affiliate of an operator, of the covered
platform or any portion of the covered platform.
§ 63A03. Privacy by default.
(a) Required age verification.--An operator shall not offer
a covered platform without conducting commercially reasonable
age verification to determine whether a user is a covered minor.
(b ) Required default settings.--For all users determined
under a commercially reasonable age verification method by an
operator to be a covered minor, the operator shall utilize the
following settings by default for covered minors, which shall
ensure that no user who is not already connected to a covered
minor may:
(1) communicate directly and privately with the covered
minor;
(2) view the profile of the covered minor;
(3) tag the covered minor in posted content; or
(4) engage in a financial transaction with the covered
minor.
(c) Parental discretion.--A parent of a covered minor may
override the default privacy settings provided in subsection (b)
at the parent's discretion.
(d) Notification.--An operator shall notify a parent of a
covered minor whenever the covered minor attempts to change the
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default settings provided in subsection (b). The parent may
approve or deny the request to change the settings for the
covered minor.
§ 63A04. Parental approvals.
(a) New connections.--For a user determined under a
commercially reasonable age verification method by an operator
to be a covered minor under 13 years of age, an operator shall
require the parent of the covered minor to approve all new
connections with the covered minor before the covered minor's
and the other user's accounts are connected.
(b) Parental access.--For a covered minor under 13 years of
age, an operator shall also establish a mechanism by which a
parent of the covered minor may easily view the list of all
users currently connected with the account of the covered minor.
(c) Financial transactions.--For a user determined under a
commercially reasonable age verification method by an operator
to be a covered minor, the opera