Bill Amendment: MS HB1224 | 2026 | Regular Session
Bill Title: MS Keeping Kids Safe Online Act;
Status: 2026-04-08 - Approved by Governor [HB1224 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2026-HB1224-Senate_Committee_Amendment_No_1.html
Pending
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO
House Bill No. 1224
BY: Committee
Amend by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby established the "Task Force to Keep Children Safe Online" to develop recommendations to the Legislature for the protection of Mississippi's children online and to propose legislation based upon its recommendations.
(2) The members of the task force shall be as follows:
(a) The Chairs of the Senate Judiciary, Division A Committee and the House Judiciary A Committee, or their designees;
(b) The Chairs of the Senate Judiciary, Division B Committee and the House Judiciary B Committee, or their designees;
(c) The Chairs of the Senate and House Technology Committees, or their designees;
(d) One (1) person who is a survivor advocate to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
(e) One (1) person who is a parent of a victim to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(f) One (1) professor of law with expertise in constitutional law and the protection of children to be named by the Dean of the Mississippi College School of Law;
(g) One (1) professor of law with expertise in constitutional law and the protection of children to be named by the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law;
(h) One (1) person who is a representative of Google;
(i) One (1) person who is a representative of Facebook;
(j) One (1) person who is a representative of X;
(k) One (1) person who is a representative of TikTok; and
(l) One (1) person who is a member of the Mississippi Federation of Republican Women to be appointed by the Governor. (3) The task force shall review the following and make recommendations based on said review:
(a) House Bill No. 1224, 2026 Regular Session;
(b) The Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act and all related caselaw;
(c) Relevant caselaw concerning the protection of children online;
(d) Statutory and regulatory frameworks within Mississippi for the protection of children online;
(e) Statutory and regulatory frameworks of other states for the protection children online;
(f) Related federal frameworks for the protection of children online; and
(g) Review any other matters related to the above issues or related to the protection of children online.
(4) The task force may request the assistance of the University of Mississippi School of Law and the Mississippi College School of Law, the Mississippi Judicial College, and the appropriate section of the Mississippi Bar Association, or any other related organization with expertise in child protection. Proposed legislation shall be prepared by the Legislative Services Offices of the Senate and House as requested.
(5) (a) The task force shall meet no later than August 15, 2026, upon the joint call of the Chairs of the Senate Judiciary, Division A Committee and the House Judiciary A Committee. The members of the task force shall elect a Chair from among the members. The task force shall develop and report its findings and recommendations for proposed legislation to the Legislature on or before December 1, 2026. A quorum of the membership shall be required to approve any final report and recommendations.
(b) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, non-legislative members of the task force shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expense in the same manner as public employees are reimbursed for official duties from any available funds. Legislative members of the task force shall be reimbursed in the same manner as for attending out-of-session committee meetings from the budget of the member's chamber.
(6) Upon presentation of its report, the task force shall be dissolved.
SECTION 2. (1) For the purposes of this section, the following words have the meaning herein ascribed unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(a) "Internet" means the combination of computer facilities and electromagnetic transmission media, and related equipment and software, comprising the interconnected worldwide network of computer networks that employ the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol or any successor protocol to transmit information.
(b) "Department" means Department of Education.
(c) "Publication" means the internet safety resource publication required under this section.
(2) (a) The department shall prepare and publish on its website an internet safety resource publication as a simple, easy-to-use, general informational source for students, families, and caregivers. The publication shall be a public resource guide that provides information regarding best practices for internet safety and the safe and secure use of digital technologies for children, teens, and their families. The publication may also serve as a resource for educators, counselors, administrators, and other state officials as well as members of the general public.
(b) The department may work with the Department of Information Technology Services and other relevant agencies to prepare instructional materials, digital applications, guides, and other useful publications based on the internet safety resource publication and related information.
(c) The department shall periodically update the publication and any related information materials or digital applications to reflect changes in technology use, emergent technologies, and new threats to children, teens and their families.
(d) Any governmental entity in the state may publish the publication on its website. The department, in conjunction with the Department of Information and Technology Services, on an as-needed basis, shall make the publication and any updates to the publication available to any governmental entity that requests the publication.
(3) (a) The publication shall include, but need not be limited to:
(i) Common internet safety protocols and technologies to protect an individual's identity, personal data, and online safety, common time management and healthy behaviors on internet applications and social media;
(ii) Potential risks of social media, including effects on mental health;
(iii) The permanency of sharing materials online; how to maintain personal security and identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior and human trafficking on the internet; and
(iv) How to report suspicious behavior encountered on the internet to appropriate authorities.
(b) The publication shall include how to safely use common internet applications and technologies, including, but not limited to, maintaining personal security, preventing oversharing of personal information, identifying predatory behavior and reporting suspicious behavior.
(c) The publication shall include video and/or written instruction to guide parents in setting-up and managing application installation and time-of-use on minors' devices that are linked to the parents' account.
(d) The publication shall include the benefits of the internet and digital devices and applications. Such information may include career and resume building for future academic or employment opportunities, sharing information with familiar family and friends and safely connecting with other users with like interests.
(e) Nothing in this statute should be interpreted as the creation of a new mandate or requirement for public school district instruction.
(f) The department shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section.
(4) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Internet Safety Resource Law."
SECTION 3. (1) For the purposes of this section, the following words have the meaning herein ascribed unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(a) "Internet" means the combination of computer facilities and electromagnetic transmission media, and related equipment and software, comprising the interconnected worldwide network of computer networks that employ the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol or any successor protocol to transmit information.
(b) "Social media" means a form of interactive electronic communication through an internet website or application by which a user creates a service-specific identifying user profile to connect with other users of the internet website or application for the purpose of communicating and sharing information, ideas, news, stories, opinions, images, videos and other content.
(c) "Department" means the Department of Education.
(d) "School district" means a political subdivision of this state with geographic boundaries organized for the purpose of the administration, support and maintenance of public schools.
(2) (a) The department shall prepare and offer a curriculum, including instructional materials, for the instruction of social media safety for students in grades 6 through 12. Such instructional materials must be published on the department's and each school district's websites. Each school district must notify parents or guardians that such instructional materials are available on the department's and each school district's websites.
(b) The department shall periodically update its curriculum to reflect changes in social media use, emergent technologies and new threats to teens using social media platforms.
(3) (a) The social media instruction must include, but need not be limited to:
(i) Time management and healthy behaviors on social media;
(ii) The negative effects of social media on mental health, including addiction;
(iii) The distribution of information on social media;
(iv) How social media manipulates behavior;
(v) The permanency of sharing materials online;
(vi) How to maintain personal security and identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior and human trafficking on the internet; and
(vii) How to report suspicious behavior encountered on the internet to appropriate authorities.
(b) The social media safety instruction must include how to safely use social media, including, but not limited to, maintaining personal security, preventing oversharing of personal information, identifying predatory behavior and reporting suspicious behavior.
(c) The social media safety instruction may include the benefits of social media use. Such instruction may only include career and resume building for future academic or employment opportunities, sharing information with familiar family and friends and safely connecting with other users with like interests.
(d) Parents or guardians shall be given the ability to opt their child out of the instruction required under this section.
(4) (a) The department and each school district shall prohibit student access to social media platforms through the use of internet access provided by the school district, except when expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes.
(b) The department and each school district shall provide and adopt an internet safety policy for student access to the internet provided by the school district which:
(i) Limits access by students to only age-appropriate subject matter and materials on the internet;
(ii) Protects the safety and security of students when using e-mail, chat rooms and other forms of direct electronic communications;
(iii) Prohibits access by students to data or information, including so-called "hacking" and other unlawful online activities by students; and
(iv) Prevents access to websites, web applications or software that does not protect against the disclosure, use or dissemination of students' personal information.
(5) The department shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section.
(6) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Law."
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026.
Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "TASK FORCE TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE"; TO PRESCRIBE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE AND PROVIDE FOR ITS ORGANIZATION; TO DIRECT THE TASK FORCE TO REVIEW CERTAIN MATTERS AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE BASED ON SAID REVIEW; TO PROVIDE FOR A REPORT BY THE TASK FORCE; TO ENACT THE "INTERNET SAFETY RESOURCE LAW" TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PREPARE AND PUBLISH ON ITS WEBSITE AN INTERNET SAFETY RESOURCE PUBLICATION AS A SIMPLE, EASY-TO-USE, GENERAL INFORMATIONAL SOURCE FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS; TO ENACT THE "TEEN SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET SAFETY LAW" TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO PREPARE AND OFFER A CURRICULUM, INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 12; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
