VermontS.692025-2026 SessionSenateWALLET

An act relating to an age-appropriate design code

Sponsored By: Wendy K Harrison (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Clear info on algorithms and data

Beginning 2027-01-01, companies must post clear privacy information, terms, policies, and community standards on their site or app. They must explain what each recommendation system does, the inputs it uses and how they are measured, and how minors’ data affects results. For each feature that uses a minor’s data, they must list what data is collected, how it is used, who gets it (including processors or third parties and why), and how long it is kept.

Limits on kids' data use and feeds

Beginning 2027-01-01, companies may collect, share, sell, or keep only the minor’s data needed to provide the service or feature the minor is actively and knowingly using. They cannot reuse a minor’s data for new purposes unless needed to follow this law. They also cannot use a minor’s data to recommend or rank media, unless the minor makes an express request for a specific account or category, uses chosen privacy or accessibility settings, or types a search used only to answer that search.

Online services must avoid harming minors

Beginning 2027-01-01, any covered company that processes a minor’s data must not design features or use that data in ways that cause foreseeable emotional distress, drive compulsive use, or discriminate. This duty applies whenever a company handles a covered minor’s personal data.

Private, safe age checks with appeal

Starting 2025-07-01, the Attorney General must set acceptable, privacy-first age-check methods by 2027-01-01 and define appeals and added safeguards. Beginning 2027-01-01, when a company checks age, it may collect only data strictly needed to decide age and must delete it right away after the decision. It may keep only the age-range result, cannot use the data for other purposes or combine it with other personal data, and cannot disclose it to non-processor third parties. Companies must offer an appeal process for age decisions.

State rules and enforcement against harmful designs

Effective 2025-07-01, the Attorney General must adopt rules by 2027-01-01 that ban data uses or designs that cause compulsive use or that weaken user choice and decision-making, and must review these rules at least every two years. Starting 2027-01-01, breaking this law is an unfair and deceptive act, and the Attorney General can investigate, sue, and secure agreements to stop violations.

Stronger default privacy and controls for kids

Beginning 2027-01-01, companies set a minor’s account to the highest privacy by default. Defaults hide accounts from known adults, block adult likes, comments, and messages, hide location and connections, stop search indexing, and turn off push alerts. Companies cannot offer one switch that removes all protections unless it is strictly needed for a feature the minor asked for. A clear signal must show when anyone monitors a minor or tracks their location. Social media must offer an easy tool to unpublish or delete a minor’s account and finish the request within 15 days. Also, no push notifications to minors between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.

Exclusions and Section 230 guardrails

Beginning 2027-01-01, the law does not cover certain work or data, including government operations, HIPAA-protected health data, some public health uses, certain human subjects research, qualifying journalism entities, and financial institutions covered by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act. The law is not read to conflict with Section 230. It also does not stop a minor from independently searching for or requesting any media.

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Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Wendy K Harrison
Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

Alison Clarkson
Democratic • Senate
Andrew J Perchlik
Democrat/Progressive • Senate
Ann E Cummings
Democratic • Senate
Anne E Watson
Democrat/Progressive • Senate
Brian P Collamore
Republican • Senate
David H Weeks
Republican • Senate
Joseph "Joe" D Major
Democratic • Senate
Nader A Hashim
Democratic • Senate
Patrick "Pat" M Brennan
Republican • Senate
Rebecca "Becca" E White
Democratic • Senate
Richard A Westman
Republican • Senate
Robert Plunkett
Democratic • Senate
Seth Bongartz
Democratic • Senate
Virginia "Ginny" V Lyons
Democratic • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 158 • No: 14

House vote • 5/23/2025

Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 71 of 142 to Pass -- Yeas = 133, Nays = 9

Yes: 133 • No: 9 • Other: 1

Senate vote • 3/12/2025

Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Institutions agreed to on roll call, requested by Senator Ram Hinsdale, Passed -- Needed 15 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 25, Nays = 5

Yes: 25 • No: 5

Actions Timeline

Senate Message: Signed by Governor June 12, 2025
6/13/2025House
Signed by Governor on June 12, 2025
6/13/2025Senate
Delivered to Governor on June 6, 2025
6/6/2025Senate
As passed by Senate and House
5/29/2025Senate
House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment
5/29/2025Senate
Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/29/2025House
Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment concurred in
5/29/2025House
Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration, pending entry on Notice Calendar, as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/29/2025House
Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment thereto
5/29/2025House
Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth
5/29/2025Senate
House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment as moved by Senator(s) Harrison and Plunkett
5/29/2025Senate
House proposal of amendment; text
5/29/2025Senate
New Business/House Proposal of Amendment
5/29/2025Senate
House proposal of amendment
5/28/2025Senate
Entered on Notice Calendar
5/28/2025Senate
House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
5/27/2025Senate
Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney
5/27/2025House
Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment
5/27/2025House
Action Calendar: Third Reading
5/27/2025House
Third Reading ordered
5/23/2025House
Which was agreed to on a Roll Call Passed -- Needed 71 of 142 to Pass -- Yeas = 133, Nays = 9
5/23/2025House
Report of Committee on Commerce and Economic Development agreed to
5/23/2025House
Rep. Harvey of Castleton demanded yeas and nays
5/23/2025House
Rep. Micklus of Milton reported for the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development
5/23/2025House
Read second time
5/23/2025House

Bill Text

As Enacted (ACT 63)
6/19/2025
PDF
As Passed by Both Chambers
6/3/2025
PDF
As Passed by Both Chambers (Unofficial)
6/3/2025
PDF
House Proposal of Amendment
5/28/2025
PDF
House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)
5/28/2025
PDF
As Passed by the Senate
3/18/2025
PDF
As Passed by the Senate (Unofficial)
3/18/2025
PDF
As Introduced
2/21/2025
PDF

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