Texas SCOPE Act (HB 18)
Bad
In force in part; Fifth Circuit appeal pending●●● High threatUpdated May 6, 2026
IntroducedPassed HousePassed SenateBecame Law
Requires parental consent and content controls for under-18s on digital services, partly blocked by the courts. Separate from the Texas porn-site law.
IntroducedMarch 3, 2023
Latest actionIn force in part; Fifth Circuit appeal pending (May 6, 2026)
What it does
The SCOPE Act makes online services get a parent's consent before a minor under 18 can use them, and imposes duties to filter content and limit data collection for young users. Knowing who is a minor means checking ages, and parts of it have been enjoined on First Amendment grounds.
Why it matters
This is the social media half of Texas's push, alongside the adult-content law the Supreme Court upheld. Together they show one state building age gates across both porn sites and mainstream platforms.
Our take
Texas is running two age-verification laws at once. The porn-site one won at the Supreme Court; this one is stuck in the courts. The direction is the same: prove who you are before you go online.
Votes
- House — Final passage (125 to 20) · April 26, 2023
- Senate — Final passage (31 to 0) · May 23, 2023
Legal challenges
CCIA & NetChoice v. Paxton
Monitoring and filtering provisions enjoined, age verification stands; stay denied May 2026; Fifth Circuit appeal pending
Monitoring and filtering provisions enjoined, age verification stands; stay denied May 2026; Fifth Circuit appeal pending
Related bills
Our coverage: all age-verification stories