Louisiana App Store Bill Draws Contentious Debate at Senate Markup

HB-570, which the Louisiana House unanimously passed May 12 (see 2505130015), mirrors a law Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed Monday (see 2505270048). Utah became the first state to enact an app store age-verification law in March (see 2503270047).

X supports HB-570 and urged federal lawmakers to pass app store age-verification legislation. CEO Linda Yaccarino said she hopes to see Louisiana and other states following Texas’ example. Meta also supports the legislation.

HB-570 author Rep. Kim Carver (R) at Tuesday’s hearing noted Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly called Abbott and asked for a veto before he signed his state’s new law on Monday. Carver said he assumes the app store opposition is profit-driven. He argued app stores are in the best position to verify age, and the privacy impact is insignificant because the stores already hold the necessary information to verify.

Sen. John Morris (R) pressured Digital Childhood Alliance Executive Director Casey Stefanski, a supporter of the bill who refused to answer questions about the organization’s funding sources. “Are you going to answer the question whether or not tech companies are giving money to your Digital Childhood Alliance?” he asked.

Stefanski said she wasn’t comfortable answering questions about funding sources.

Morris also questioned why the bill puts most of the burden on app stores, when it could be shared more evenly with app developers.

Sen. Stewart Cathey (R) separately pressured Carver over House deliberation and Carver’s deciding vote on an amendment Cathey filed on a separate issue. The committee was still considering HB-570 at our deadline. All other bills considered at Tuesday’s markup passed.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, at a separate markup Tuesday, passed HB-37, which would require covered online platforms, including websites and videogames, to prohibit adults from connecting with a minor unless the minor initiated it (see 2505060066). The duty-of-care bill passed the House unanimously on May 6.

Rep. Laurie Schlegel (R), author of the bill, said she removed its private right of action in the “spirit of working together. That was a big concern from Big Tech.” The measure includes a 45-day right to cure. Carver said at the Senate Commerce hearing that he removed his right to cure because he doesn’t want platforms waiting for enforcement letters to correct mistakes.

Hannah Duke, who lobbies on behalf of the Entertainment Software Association, testified from a neutral position on HB-37. She thanked Schlegel and staff for working through changes and “ensuring constitutionality of the bill.”

Audrey Wascome, a Louisiana sex trafficking survivor, suggested an HB-37 carveout to allow police to track the geolocation of minors in emergency situations. With kidnapping threats, the first 24 hours are the most important for police to prevent the crime, she said.