Bill · H.R. 8250· House(119-HR-8250)
Parents Decide Act
- Introduced
- 4/13/2026
- Last activity
- 4/13/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- Josh Gottheimer
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Parents Decide Act" requires operating system providers to implement age verification processes for all users. Under this bill, users must provide their date of birth to set up an account or use an operating system. If a user is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must verify that date of birth. Providers must also create a system so app developers can access necessary information to verify a user's age. The Federal Trade Commission is tasked with creating regulations regarding verification methods, data protection, and parental controls.
Yes
Would children be better off under this?+4
The bill provides parents with tools to control what their children can access on a device.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+1
The bill requires the FTC to brief Congress on its rulemaking process and considerations.
The opposite· 3 of 9
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?-5
The bill requires all users to provide their date of birth to access an operating system, increasing data collection.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?-3
Young adults will be required to provide their date of birth to use an operating system.
Does this give people more control over their personal data?-3
The bill mandates the collection and sharing of users' exact dates of birth with operating system providers and app developers.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Parental Oversight: The bill requires that if a user is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must verify their date of birth, and the system must ensure parents can control what the user accesses on a device (Section 2(a)(2), Section 2(d)(1)(C)(ii)).
-
Data Security Standards: The Commission is directed to create regulations regarding how birth dates are collected securely to maintain privacy and prevent data from being stolen or breached (Section 2(d)(1)(B)).
-
App Developer Verification: The bill includes a requirement for a system that allows app developers to access information necessary to verify a user's date of birth for their specific app (Section 2(a)(3), Section 2(d)(1)(C)(i)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Mandatory Data Collection: Every user of an operating system is required to provide their date of birth in order to set up an account or use the operating system (Section 2(a)(1)).
-
Increased Data Sharing: Operating system providers must develop a system that allows app developers to access information collected by the operating system for age verification purposes (Section 2(a)(3), Section 2(d)(1)(C)(i)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+4Good For Young Adults-3Good For Seniors-2Good For High Income Households-1Good For Low Income Households-1Good For Middle Class Households-1
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+1Improves Privacy Rights-5
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy-3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support-2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Childcare Affordability-1
- 4/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/13/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Elise StefanikRepublican · New York