New Hampshire HB 1658: relative to parental consent and age verification for digital application platforms.

Bill Text

HB 1658-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-3005

 07/06

HOUSE BILL 1658-FN

AN ACT relative to parental consent and age verification for digital application platforms.

SPONSORS: Rep. Drye, Sull. 7; Rep. Freeman, Belk. 8; Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32; Rep. Thibault, Merr. 25; Rep. Bennett, Rock. 4; Rep. Rhodes, Ches. 17; Rep. Harvey-Bolia, Belk. 3; Rep. Bjelobrk, Graf. 5; Rep. Korzen, Coos 7; Rep. Reinfurt, Hills. 29; Sen. Ward, Dist 8

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

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ANALYSIS

 This bill enacts provisions governing app store operations and creates requirements for age verification and parental consent.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-3005

 07/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to parental consent and age verification for digital application platforms.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Chapter; App Store Accountability. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 359-U the following new chapter: 

CHAPTER 359-V

APP STORE ACCOUNTABILITY

 359-V:1 Definitions. As used in this chapter:

 I. "Age category" means one of the following categories of individuals based on age: 

 (a) "Child" which means an individual who is under 13 years old;

 (b) "Younger teenager" which means an individual who is at least 13 years old and under 16 years old;

 (c) "Older teenager" which means an individual who is at least 16 years old and under 18 years old; or

 (d) "Adult" which means an individual who is at least 18 years old.

 II. "Age category data" means information about a user's age category that is: 

 (a) Collected by an app store provider; and

 (b) Shared with a developer.

 III. "Age rating" means a classification that provides an assessment of the suitability of an app's content for different age groups.

 IV. "App" means a software application or electronic service that a user may run or direct on a mobile device.

 V. "App store" means a publicly available website, software application, or electronic service that allows users to download apps from third-party developers onto a mobile device.

 VI. "App store provider" means a person that owns, operates, or controls an app store that allows users in the state to download apps onto a mobile device.

 VII. "Content description" means a description of the specific content elements that informed an app's age rating.

 VIII. "Developer" means a person that owns or controls an app made available through an app store in the state.

 IX. "Division," "bureau," or "consumer protection division of the department of justice" means the consumer protection and antitrust bureau of the department of justice.

 X. "Knowingly" means to act with actual knowledge or to act with knowledge fairly inferred based on objective circumstances.

 XI. "Minor" means an individual under 18 years old.

 XII. "Minor account" means an account with an app store provider that: 

 (a) Is established by an individual who the app store provider has determined is under 18 years old through the app store provider's age verification methods; and

 (b) Requires affiliation with a parent account.

 XIII. "Mobile device" means a phone or general purpose tablet that: 

 (a) Provides cellular or wireless connectivity;

 (b) Is capable of connecting to the Internet;

 (c) Runs a mobile operating system; and

 (d) Is capable of running apps through the mobile operating system.

 XIV. "Mobile operating system" means software that:

 (a) Manages mobile device hardware resources;

 (b) Provides common services for mobile device programs;

 (c) Controls memory allocation; and

 (d) Provides interfaces for applications to access device functionality.

 XV. "Parent" means, with respect to a minor, any of the following individuals who have legal authority to make decisions on behalf of the minor: 

 (a) An individual with a parent-child relationship;

 (b) A legal guardian; or

 (c) An individual with legal custody.

 XVI. "Parent account" means an account with an app store provider that: 

 (a) Is verified to be established by an individual who the app store provider has determined is at least 18 years old through the app store provider's age verification methods; and

 (b) May be affiliated with one or more minor accounts.

 XVII. "Parental consent disclosure" means the following information that an app store provider is required to provide to a parent before obtaining parental consent:

 (a) If the app store provider has an age rating for the app or in-app purchase, the app's