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HB 427

CONTRACTS: Provides relative to the duty of care for online platforms that contract with minors

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Roy Adams and 54 co-sponsors

Redefines minors as under 18 and requires private-mode accounts with restricted visibility, plus guardian access and broader notifications for material harmful to minors.

Effective date: 01/01/2027.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 427

Summary of HB 427 (2026, Louisiana) – CONTRACTS: Provides relative to the duty of care for online platforms that contract with minors

1) Purpose and intent

  • The bill amends the Kids Online Protection and Anti-Grooming Act (KOPAGA) to tighten protections for minors (defined below) who use online platforms that contract with minors.
  • Key changes focus on privacy controls for minor accounts, enhanced notification to a minor’s legal representative, and redefining who is considered a minor under the act.
  • The amendments modify several provisions to strengthen safeguarding measures and alter the effective date timeline.

2) What the bill changes (key provisions)

A. Redefinition of “minor”

  • Current law: A minor is an account holder believed or known to be under 16 years old and not emancipated or married.
  • HB 427 proposal: Redefines “minor” as any person under 18 who is not emancipated.
  • Practical effect: Expands the scope of protections to include older teens up to 17 who are not emancipated.

B. Material harmful to minors; sexually explicit material

  • Present law defines “sexually explicit material” (and the bill repeals that definition).
  • The bill keeps the act’s overall goal of protecting minors but removes the explicit material definition from the statute’s terminology, signaling broader or differently scoped protections.

C. Duty of care and privacy settings for minor accounts

  • Present law requires platforms to owe a duty of care to minors and to prioritize privacy with specific default privacy settings, including limiting visibility to connected accounts.
  • HB 427 repeals the present prioritization framework and instead requires:
    • Minor accounts to operate in private mode.
    • Only users whom the minor is connected to on the platform may view or respond to content posted by the minor.
  • In short: Stronger default privacy, with stricter visibility for minor accounts.

D. Access for legal representatives; monitoring tools

  • Amendments specify that a minor’s legal representative (e.g., parent/legal guardian) should have access related to connections and direct messages via parental supervision tools.
  • The bill allows (and contemplates) enabling the legal representative to access a list of the minor’s connections and direct-message contacts via parental supervision tools.

E. Notification to legal representatives

  • Present law requires notifying the legal representative if a minor is exposed to sexually explicit material.
  • HB 427 shifts notification to material harmful to minors (broader category) and requires that the legal representative be informed when:
    • A minor is exposed to material harmful to minors, or
    • A connection is made with another user unless the legal representative is connected to the minor’s account via parental supervision tools.

F. Effective date

  • The bill repeals the July 1, 2026, effective date of the KOPAGA Act.
  • It provides an overall effective date upon the governor’s signature or lapse of time for gubernatorial action (standard acting).

3) Who would be affected

  • Online platforms that contract with minors under Louisiana law (the “covered platforms”).
  • Minors under 18 (not emancipated) and their legal representatives (parents/guardians) who use parental control tools on those platforms.
  • The changes affect account privacy defaults, visibility settings, and notification/monitoring requirements.

4) Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill includes Senate Committee amendments that refine section references and specific language (e.g., which subsections are amended or repealed).
  • Effective date: Repeals the prior July 1, 2026, effective date and makes the act effective upon gubernatorial action (signature or time lapse).

5) Notable details

  • The bill’s amendments were introduced through Senate Judiciary A and reflect a focus on stricter privacy controls and enhanced access for guardians.
  • A broad sponsor and numerous co-sponsors indicate cross-party legislative engagement on child protections in the online space.

This summary covers the primary changes, their practical effects on minor online privacy and guardian oversight, and the procedural timeline relevant to HB 427. If you’d like, I can map these provisions to a side-by-side comparison with current law or provide a layperson-friendly example of how the private mode and guardian notifications would function in practice.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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