Ron DeSantis Vetoes Florida AV Bill; Opts for Different Measure

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has announced that he is repealing an age verification proposal touted by his own party in the state legislature as a crucial measure to adopt and implement. The bill, House Bill (HB) 1, would have required age verification for adults looking to access pornography content online from Florida IP addresses. It would also ban social media use for individuals under the age of 16 years. AVN previously reported on the measure. Lawmakers in the state legislature, dominated by the Republican Party, adopted House Bill 1 and engrossed the bill. This means it was transmitted to Gov. DeSantis for approval. Republican House Speaker Paul Renner of Palm Coast indicated HB 1 will become a priority for his chamber to pass after the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee revamped the entire proposal to include the two issues. The bill was advanced out of committee on a vote of 12-5 in favor and now faces a floor vote in the state Senate. Voting history from both chambers indicates the Florida Senate voted to adopt the bill, 23-14, and the House, 108-7. However, upon bicameral approval, DeSantis was granted the right to adopt the law or veto it. He chose the latter action. 'I have vetoed HB 1 because the Legislature is about to produce a different, superior bill," DeSantis said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "Protecting children from harm associated with social media is important, as is supporting parents’ rights and maintaining the ability of adults to engage in anonymous speech." "I anticipate the new bill will recognize these priorities and will be signed into law soon," adds the governor. Supporters of Gov. DeSantis claim that he saw House Bill 1 as an overreach. Instead of supporting House Bill 1, DeSantis said that a "superior" bill was currently in the pipeline at the state legislature. There is currently no indication that the state legislature will vote to overrule the veto. There is also no clear indication as to which bill DeSantis refers to, but the measure is likely to be House Bill 3. HB 3 was the original age verification measure introduced by conservatives in the state House with the support of far-right parental rights organizations and the religious right.  HB 3 additionally provides for so-called "reasonable" age verification measures implemented by the operators of porn websites. The most recent action taken on House Bill 3 was a Senate vote adopting the measure, 30-5. It is similar to other copycat bills. DeSantis expressed concern over HB 1's broad nature, citing concerns that social media restrictions might not hold up in court, alleges Florida Politics journalist Jacob Ogles. This apparent restraint demonstrated by DeSantis comes after the U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical of the state's social media regulation preventing platform self-moderation. Age verification proposals are considered potentially unconstitutional given that the Supreme Court, in previous rulings, sided with technology companies and civil liberties organizations that segregating the internet based on age violated the First Amendment.