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VermontS.692025-2026 SessionSenate

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: 7 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Age checks get stronger privacy safeguards

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered businesses and processors can collect only data strictly needed to check a user’s age. After deciding whether the user is a covered minor, they must immediately delete collected data except the age-range result. They cannot reuse or combine age-check data for other purposes or disclose it beyond processors, and must offer appeals. The Attorney General’s rulemaking authority takes effect July 1, 2025, with age-check rules due by January 1, 2027. Rules must cover practical methods, appeal reviews, and added privacy safeguards, prioritizing privacy and accessibility over accuracy. The Attorney General must consider business resources, costs, effectiveness, safety, user experience, transparency and trust, existing data, compatible methods, and multiple options. The rules must be reviewed periodically and updated as needed.

Families get clearer online data explanations

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered businesses must clearly and prominently post privacy information, terms, policies, and community rules. For each recommendation system, they must explain its purpose, inputs, and whether it uses minors’ personal data. They must explain how inputs are measured, how they affect recommendations, and their relative weight. For each feature using covered minors’ data, businesses must describe its purpose, collected data, uses, and retention period. They must also explain data sharing and transfers, including who processes the data and why.

Kids can remove social media accounts

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered minors can ask covered social media businesses to hide or delete their accounts. Businesses must provide an easy-to-find, accessible tool that responds to these requests. They must honor a request within 15 days after receiving it.

Kids control feeds and avoid overnight alerts

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered businesses generally cannot use covered minors’ personal data to choose, recommend, or rank media. They can follow a minor’s clear requests about accounts, feeds, users, categories, or seeing more or less similar media. They can also apply user-selected privacy or accessibility settings or respond to an explicit search. Search data can guide media selection only for that search. Businesses cannot send covered minors push notifications from midnight to 6:00 a.m.

Kids get private online settings first

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered businesses must give covered minors the highest privacy settings by default. Known adults cannot view their accounts or media, give feedback, or exchange direct messages unless the minor clearly allows it. Location and friend connections stay hidden unless expressly shared; search-engine listings and push notifications start turned off. Businesses cannot offer one switch that weakens all these protections at once. They can prompt minors to weaken settings only when strictly needed for a service or feature the minor clearly requested.

Less data collection and hidden tracking

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered businesses can collect, sell, share, or keep minors’ data only when needed for services they actively and knowingly use. They cannot reuse that data for new purposes unless needed to comply with this law. Businesses must show minors a clear signal while anyone monitors their online activity or tracks their location through the service. When checking whether at least 2% of an audience is ages 2–17, businesses cannot collect or process unnecessary personal data. That check must stay limited to data reasonably needed for a service, product, or feature a minor actively and knowingly uses.

Stronger online safety duties for kids

Beginning January 1, 2027, covered online businesses must use reasonable care to prevent foreseeable emotional distress, compulsive use, and discrimination. Covered minors are Vermont residents under 18 whom the business knows or identifies as minors under state rules. Covered businesses operate in Vermont, earn most revenue online, control collection and use of minors’ data, and offer services likely to reach minors. This includes child-directed services or audiences with at least 2% minors ages 2–17. Viewing media alone does not establish harm, and the law does not require blocking media or override federal platform immunity. The Attorney General must adopt rules against compulsive-use and choice-undermining practices by January 1, 2027, updating them at least every two years. That rulemaking authority takes effect July 1, 2025; businesses and processors that violate the law face state consumer-protection investigations and civil actions.

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

  1. Senate Message: Signed by Governor June 12, 2025

    6/13/2025Senate

  2. Signed by Governor on June 12, 2025

    6/13/2025Senate

  3. Delivered to Governor on June 6, 2025

    6/6/2025Senate

  4. As passed by Senate and House

    5/29/2025Senate

  5. House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment

    5/29/2025House

  6. Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney

    5/29/2025House

  7. Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment concurred in

    5/29/2025House

  8. Rules suspended and taken up for immediate consideration, pending entry on Notice Calendar, as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney

    5/29/2025House

  9. Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment thereto

    5/29/2025Senate

  10. Rules suspended & messaged to House forthwith, on motion of Senator Baruth

    5/29/2025Senate

  11. House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment as moved by Senator(s) Harrison and Plunkett

    5/29/2025Senate

  12. House proposal of amendment; text

    5/29/2025Senate

  13. New Business/House Proposal of Amendment

    5/29/2025Senate

  14. House proposal of amendment

    5/28/2025Senate

  15. Entered on Notice Calendar

    5/28/2025Senate

  16. House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment

    5/27/2025House

  17. Rules suspended and bill messaged forthwith to the Senate as moved by Rep. McCoy of Poultney

    5/27/2025House

  18. Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment

    5/27/2025House

  19. Action Calendar: Third Reading

    5/27/2025House

  20. Third Reading ordered

    5/23/2025House

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

    5/23/2025House

  22. Report of Committee on Commerce and Economic Development agreed to

    5/23/2025House

  23. Rep. Harvey of Castleton demanded yeas and nays

    5/23/2025House

  24. Rep. Micklus of Milton reported for the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

    5/23/2025House

  25. Read second time

    5/23/2025House

Bill Text

  • As Enacted (ACT 63)Opens in a new window

    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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