New Jersey A 3228: Requires entities to verify age of persons accessing certain online material and prohibits minors from accessing certain online material.

Bill Text

A3228 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3228 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JAY WEBBER

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Dunn, Fantasia, Assemblymen Inganamort, 
Scharfenberger, Assemblywoman Flynn, Assemblymen Peterson, McGuckin and Myhre

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires entities to verify age of persons accessing 
certain online material and prohibits minors from accessing certain online 
material.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning the access of minors to certain online material 
and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� As used in P.L.��� , c.��� 
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� �Digitized identification 
card� means a data file available on any mobile device, which has connectivity 
to the Internet, that allows the mobile device to download the data file from a 
State agency or an authorized agent of a State agency that contains all of the 
data elements visible on the face and back of a license or identification card 
and displays the current status of the license or identification card.

���� �Distribute� means to issue, 
sell, give, provide, deliver, transfer, transmute, circulate, or disseminate by 
any means.

���� �Division� means the Division 
of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety.

���� �Educational entity� means a 
school district, charter school, renaissance school, non-public school, or 
institution of higher education.

���� �Entity� includes 
corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships, 
sole proprietorships, or other legally recognized entities.

���� �Individual� means a natural 
person residing in this State.

���� �Internet� means the same as 
the term is defined in P.L.1984, c.184 (C.2C:20-23).

���� �Interactive computer service� 
means any information service, system, or access software provider that 
provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server, 
including, but not limited to, a service or system that provides access to the 
Internet and such systems operated or services offered by libraries or 
educational entities and a social media platform that enables users to create a 
profile, upload posts, view the posts of other users, or otherwise interact 
with other users.� 

���� �Information content provider� 
means any individual or entity that is responsible, in whole or in part, for 
the creation or development of information provided through the Internet or any 
interactive computer service.� This term also includes any individual or entity 
that materially contributes or participates in any illegal aspect of content 
provided by an information content provider, such as requesting or recommending 
certain illegal content or suggesting the information service provider to 
change or edit illegal content in any manner other than total deletion or 
removal, or any similar action that otherwise knowingly facilitates or furthers 
the provider�s publishing or distribution of content prohibited under P.L.��� , 
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). �Information 
content provider� includes, but is not limited to, social media platforms that 
are an online service, Internet website, or application made available by a 
social media company for account holders to create a profile, upload posts, 
view the posts of other account holders, and interact with other account 
holders or users.� 

���� �Material harmful to minors� 
means any material that meets the following criteria, as determined by the 
division: (1) the average individual, applying contemporary community 
standards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to 
minors, is designed to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, the indecent 
interest; or (2) exploits, is devoted to, or principally consists of 
descriptions of actual, simulated, or animated display or depiction of any of 
the following, in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors: (a) pubic 
hair, anus, vulva, genitals, or nipple of the female breast; (b) touching, 
caressing, or fondling of nipples, breasts, buttocks, anuses, or genitals; or 
(c) sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, 
flagellation, excretory functions, exhibitions, or any other sexual act; or (3) 
the material taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or 
scientific value for minors.

���� �Minor� means any individual 
under 18 years of age.

���� �News-gathering organization� 
means: (1) a newspaper, news publication, or news source, printed or on an 
online or mobile platform, of current news and public interest; (2) a radio 
broadcast station, television broadcast station, cable television oper