Kansas SB 394 (Adult Content)

BadLaw  ·  KS SB 394 · United States · KansasUnited States
In force●●● High threatUpdated July 1, 2024
IntroducedPassed SenatePassed HouseBecame Law
Kansas's adult-site age check, notable for a lower 25 percent content trigger and both state fines and private lawsuits.
SponsorSenate Judiciary Committee, Rep. J.R. Claeys
Latest actionIn force (July 1, 2024)

What it does

Kansas SB 394 makes any for-profit site verify Kansans are 18 before showing material harmful to minors when such material is 25 percent or more of the pages viewed in a month, a lower bar than the one-third most states use. The Attorney General can fine violators from $500 to $10,000 per violation, and parents and people whose data was kept can also sue.

Why it matters

The 25 percent trigger pulls in more sites than the standard one-third line, so Kansas reaches further than its neighbors. Stacking Attorney General fines on top of private lawsuits gives operators two reasons to demand ID from every visitor.

Our take

Kansas set the widest net in the patchwork with a 25 percent trigger, then handed enforcement to both the state and private plaintiffs. The NCOSE-backed suits filed under it were tossed for jurisdiction, so the courtroom test of the law is still coming.

Votes

  • Senate — Passed (40 to 0) · February 15, 2024
  • House — Passed (92 to 31) · March 26, 2024

Timeline

  • April 12, 2024Signed into law
  • July 1, 2024Took effect

Legal challenges

Our coverage: all age-verification stories  ·  Status checked July 19, 2026

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