Prohibiting state agency employees, state elected officials, federal government agency employees, and certain state individuals holding a national office from influencing social media Internet sites to censor users and providing a penalty. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill prohibits state agency employees and state elected officials from influencing or attempting to influence a social media Internet site to censor, deplatform, or shadow ban users on the social media Internet site. The prohibition also applies to a U.S. senator or representative in congress elected to his or her office in this state and to federal government agency employees present in this state.

The bill defines “deplatforming” as deleting or banning a user from a social media Internet site for more than 60 days, and defines “shadow banning” as limiting or eliminating the exposure of a user, or content posted by or about a user, to other users. The penalty for each violation of the bill's prohibitions is a forfeiture between $1,000 and $10,000.

Who's behind it

6 representatives are its authors⁠. All 6 are Republicans.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DPI
• Fiscal Estimate From ETHC
• Fiscal Estimate From UWS