Following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent veto on a bill prohibiting social media use for minors under 16, the Florida Senate introduced new, slightly less comprehensive restrictions in the final week of the legislative session.
Senators passed an amendment to a new bill (HB 3) on Monday morning, maintaining the ban on certain platforms deemed “addictive” with a provision for 14- and 15-year-olds to access them with parental consent.
Following that, the senators passed the bill, which also mandates age verification for viewers of pornographic websites. The vote was approved with a strong 30-5 bipartisan majority.
Five Democrats voted against the legislation, expressing concerns about its constitutionality and government overreach despite the changes made.
The legislation will now be sent to the House for approval, after which it will be forwarded to the governor for final consideration.
The exception for permission is a recognition of DeSantis’ rights as a parent and legal considerations.
Lawmakers passed the original bill (HB 1) last month, marking a rare split from a governor who has held significant power over his legislative allies, despite receiving criticism from DeSantis.
Lawmakers were not prepared to push further by overriding his veto, which would have needed “yes” votes from two-thirds of both chambers.
[READ MORE: Majority Who Voted for Biden in 2020 Claim He’s Now Too Old to Serve as President]
