In today’s digital landscape, children are increasingly vulnerable to online threats, including grooming, sextortion, and exposure to harmful content.

House Bill 37, the Kids Online Protection and Anti-Grooming Act by Rep. Laurie Schlegel (R-Metairie), is a critical bill aimed at safeguarding children in Louisiana from these dangers. 

But Big Tech is working overtime to kill this bill in the Louisiana senate.

Please call your Louisiana state legislator today and ask them to support HB 37. In particular, we need calls into the Louisiana senate and to Chairman Greg Miller (R-Norco), who will decide what happens with this bill.

The Kids Online Protection Act requires four commonsense safeguards. It is unbelievable that Big Tech is opposing Louisiana parents on this.

• Restricting Unsolicited Contact: Prohibits adults from initiating contact with minors on covered platforms. 
• Limiting Private Messaging: Restricts adults from sending private messages to minors unless already connected. 
• Protecting Location Data: Prevents platforms from sharing a minor’s precise geolocation with anyone other than their legal guardian. 
• Requiring Parental Notifications: Mandates platforms to inform parents or guardians if a minor makes a financial transaction, is exposed to sexually explicit material, or connects with another user. 

Read these again. Big Tech does NOT want kids to be protected from online stranger danger. Big Tech does NOT want parents to know if their kids are making financial transactions online. Big Tech does not care about your kids’ safety.

Reports indicate that Big Tech is trying to remove the notification requirements in HB 37, effectively gutting the bill. 

Will the Louisiana Senate choose kids over Big Tech corporate lobbyists? That depends on you. The lobbyists are there now, working against parents. 

We need parents and grandparents to make their voices heard. Please call and email your Louisiana state senator today and ask them to make sure HB 37 gets out of committee.

HB 37 has passed the Louisiana House of Representatives and will now be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 28th at 9:00 a.m.

You can contact the committee at 225-342-6192 or email a written statement of support to pickerim@legis.la.gov, preferably before 5:00 a.m.(CT) tomorrow.

If you can’t email or call the committee, please at least call and email your Louisiana state senator today. Tell them to pass HB 37 with strong parental notification requirements. 

The well-being of Louisiana children is at stake. Let’s get this bill passed through the Senate with no damaging amendments. 

Please call and email your Louisiana state senator today.