All Roll Calls
Yes: 142 • No: 8
ArkansasSB6112025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
TO AMEND THE SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY ACT.
Sponsored By: Tyler Dees (Republican), Jon S. Eubanks (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Parents gain stronger social media lawsuits
Parents or guardians can sue over required platform protections when their minor child or legal dependent is authorized to use the platform. Violations are strict-liability civil offenses, meaning proof of the platform’s intent is not required. For prohibited minor access, an individual can seek a $10,000 penalty per violation; each day counts separately. Alternatively, the individual can seek damages caused by access without a parent’s or custodian’s consent; either option includes court costs and reasonable lawyer fees. Under the penalty option, awarded lawyer fees must at least equal the platform’s total legal fees. Penalty proceeds and fees exceeding the winning party’s legal fees go to the Crimes Against Children Fund, so a lawsuit does not guarantee a personal payout.
Safer social media settings for kids
Platforms must avoid practices designed to cause addiction or compulsive behavior in Arkansas users under 16. Examples include notifications, recommended content, artificial feelings of achievement, and bots that appear human; platforms must audit products at least quarterly. Most notifications must stop from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Central Standard Time, except safety or privacy alerts. A parent or guardian can change that notification setting, and covered platforms must use their most protective privacy and safety defaults. Covered platforms must also give parents an easy-to-access dashboard showing their child’s use and tools to limit platform access.
Social media protections stop at age sixteen
The law defines a minor as someone under 16 who is in Arkansas, replacing the under-18 cutoff. This removes 16- and 17-year-olds from the Act’s protections for minors; age checks must reasonably confirm users are at least 16. Covered services include internet-connected social platforms, messaging services, and other online platforms used or likely used by minors. Coverage depends on account, interaction, user-engagement revenue, and Arkansas-access rules; Arkansas users include residents accessing services while physically in Arkansas. Exclusions include email providers, nonprofits, schools, business-to-business software, common carriers, broadband providers, and services mainly offering email, private nonpublic messaging, or certain streaming media. The law gives its cross-referenced Section 2 a delayed effective date of one year after enactment.
New fund supports child-safety law enforcement
The law creates the Crimes Against Children Fund for Arkansas Attorney General investigations and lawsuits under the Social Media Safety Act. It receives designated grants, gifts, donations, specified penalties, surplus lawyer fees, and other money authorized by law. The Treasurer, Auditor, and Chief Fiscal Officer jointly administer the fund. Unspent money carries forward each fiscal year for the same purposes. The law sets no fixed funding amount.
Stronger age-check safeguards for Arkansas kids
Platforms must use technology to prevent users from bypassing age checks. They must monitor suspicious activity, including false or repeated credentials. They must also prevent minors from registering outside Arkansas and then using those accounts inside Arkansas. These safeguards apply to new accounts created on or after 12 months following enactment.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Tyler Dees
Republican • Senate
Jon S. Eubanks
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/15/2025
Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 15, 2025 1:57:52 PM
Yes: 29 • No: 2 • Other: 3
House vote • 4/14/2025
House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 5:01:07 PM
Yes: 92 • No: 3 • Other: 1
Senate vote • 4/7/2025
Senate Vote - Monday, April 7, 2025 3:30:00 PM
Yes: 21 • No: 3 • Other: 4
Actions Timeline
Notification that SB611 is now Act 900
4/22/2025SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.
4/16/2025SenateReported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
4/16/2025SenateORDERED ENROLLED
4/15/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/15/2025SenateRules suspended.
4/15/2025SenateHouse Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in.
4/15/2025SenatePlaced on second reading for purpose of amendment.
4/15/2025SenateReturned from the House as passed as amended # 1 .
4/14/2025SenateReturned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1
4/14/2025HouseRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
4/14/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
4/10/2025HouseAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
4/10/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
4/10/2025HouseReturned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1
4/9/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE
4/7/2025HouseRECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
4/7/2025HouseOrdered immediately transmitted to the House.
4/7/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
4/7/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
4/3/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE
4/2/2025SenateFiled
4/2/2025Senate
Bill Text
SB611 - Introduced
4/2/2025
Act Version
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