Representative Lori Schlegel pressed the committee Wednesday to require digital platforms that interact with children to take minimum steps to prevent online grooming and alert parents when a minor connects with another user.

"If you're going to contract with a child, you need to put minimum guardrails in place to protect them," Representative Schlegel told the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure, summarizing the purpose of HB 37.

The bill establishes a duty of care for covered platforms that contract with or otherwise interact with minors. Schlegel said the measure would prohibit an adult from initiating contact with a minor on a covered platform; bar platforms from disclosing the precise geolocation of a minor; require parental notifications in certain circumstances including when a connection is made between a minor and any user, and notify a legal representative when a minor makes a microtransaction or is exposed to sexually explicit material on a covered platform.

Colin Sims, district attorney for St. Tammany and Washington parishes, testified in support and described how predators use games and chat functions to groom children. "This is the back door to your kids," Sims said, urging immediate notification to parents upon connection: "There should be immediate [notice]."

Representatives asked multiple technical and implementation questions. Schlegel said many provisions are technologically feasible and that companies such as gaming platforms already offer parental-control tools; she said several provisions would be refined in committee after consulting law enforcement and vendors. Representative Carlson, who works in cybersecurity in private life, told the committee he found the bill’s technological asks reasonable after the amendment set was incorporated.

The committee considered and adopted amendment set 17 55, which, among other changes, narrowed the covered-platform definition to services actually "used by a minor," aligned the broadband-service definition to federal rules (47 CFR 54.4), clarified exceptions for services whose exclusive function is direct messaging, defined "precise geolocation," required platforms to create an online account when a duty of care applies, changed certain notification mechanics, removed a written-consent requirement, and changed the bill’s effective date from Jan. 1, 2026, to March 1, 2026.

Entertainment industry representatives including Hannah Duke and Steve Duke of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) offered technical context and urged the committee to preserve existing industry tools and parental controls, and they asked the committee to limit private causes of action. The ESA said industry rating and parental-control systems (ESRB) already give parents granular control and that some member companies use AI and other tools to detect predatory behavior and work with law enforcement.

Schlegel indicated she accepted some reasonable vendor-suggested amendments and said she would continue to work with stakeholders on language that balances parental empowerment, technological feasibility and constitutional constraints.

Speaker Pro Tempore Johnson moved to report HB 37 with amendments; the motion carried with no recorded objection and the committee reported the bill out with amendments.

Votes at a glance: The committee adopted amendment set 17 55 (adopted) and reported HB 37 with amendments (reported favorably).