Rep. Roy Statement on House Passage of the KIDS Act

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 7757 - KIDS Act.

"While I voted against H.R. 7757 - KIDS Act, I appreciate the continued efforts to improve this legislation as we work to protect children from online exploitation, targeting, and abuse.

It is essential, however, that we get this right. Any solution should prioritize empowering parents and preventing the targeted exploitation of minors while respecting the central role families play in safeguarding their children online.

Although the bill contains meaningful provisions, including efforts to deal with age-verification requirements for pornography websites and other provisions that will better protect children online, significant concerns remain. The legislation creates different legal standards for 'children' and 'teens' rather than applying consistent protections to all minors, weakens parental authority, and establishes a federal preemption framework that could invite costly litigation against stronger state laws like those enacted in Texas, leaving states to spend years defending their laws in court instead of enforcing them.

Most importantly, the legislation establishes circumstances in which technology companies may communicate directly with teenage users in ways that bypass parents. I cannot support a framework that weakens parental involvement in decisions affecting their children's online safety.

I remain committed to working with my colleagues to strengthen this legislation. We should continue refining the bill in the Senate and, upon its return to the House, ensure it protects children while reinforcing-not replacing-the rights and responsibilities of parents," said Rep. Roy.