COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS: Provides relative to minors' use of applications
This bill establishes new rules for application stores in Louisiana to protect minors under 18 from inappropriate content and data collection. It requires app stores to verify users' ages and link accounts of anyone under 18 to a parent account that must give explicit consent before the minor can download apps, make purchases, or access certain features. Developers must provide clear information about age ratings, content descriptions, and data privacy practices before obtaining parental consent, and stores must notify users of significant changes to an app's functionality or data policies. The law also defines specific age categories and creates penalties for non-compliance while repealing a previous 2025 act on the same topic.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Mar 17, 2026
Signed May 15, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB977 Original
→
HB977 Act
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill updates the legal definitions regarding minors and digital applications to align with modern terminology and age groups. The primary change is the replacement of the term 'Minor' with specific age-based categories: 'Child' (under 13), 'Younger Teenager' (13-15), and 'Older Teenager' (16-17). It also removes the definition of 'Mobile operating system' entirely, likely to prevent outdated technical constraints from limiting the law's application to new devices.
Scope change
The scope of applicability remains focused on the protection of children on applications, but the definitions now explicitly account for teenagers aged 13 to 17 as distinct groups rather than lumping them all under the broad term 'Minor'.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'Minor' was removed and replaced with three specific age categories: 'Child' (under 13), 'Younger teenager' (13 to under 16), and 'Older teenager' (16 to under 18).
The definition for 'Mobile operating system' was completely deleted from the bill, removing a specific technical requirement that may have restricted the law's reach to certain types of devices.
The definition of 'Parental consent disclosure' was slightly expanded to include 'legal guardian' alongside 'parent' when describing who must receive information before consent is obtained.
Floor votes · Senate May 11, 2026 · House Apr 22, 2026
How they voted
37–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 40
May 11, 2026
D
Democratic12
83% Yea
R
Republican28
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
25
Key actions
4
Committee
4
May 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 28, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 7, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (15-0).
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Beau Beaullieu
RRepublican
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