S.Amdt. 3087

SA 3087. Mr. PAUL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2073, to amend title 31, United States Code, to
require agencies to include a list of outdated or duplicative reporting
requirements in annual budget justifications, and for other purposes;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted, insert the
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Kids Online Safety and
Privacy Act''.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND MINORS.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Trade Commission.
(2) National academy.--The term ``National Academy'' means
the National Academy of Sciences.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(b) Research on Social Media Harms.--Not later than 12
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Commission shall seek to enter into a contract with the
National Academy, under which the National Academy shall
conduct no less than 5 scientific, comprehensive studies and
reports on the risk of harms to minors by use of social media
and other online platforms, including in English and non-
English languages.
(c) Matters to Be Addressed.--In contracting with the
National Academy, the Commission, in consultation with the
Secretary, shall seek to commission separate studies and
reports, using the Commission's authority under section 6(b)
of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 46(b)), on the
relationship between social media and other online platforms
as defined in this subtitle on the following matters:
(1) Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicidal
behaviors.
(2) Substance use disorders and the use of narcotic drugs,
tobacco products, gambling, or alcohol by minors.
(3) Sexual exploitation and abuse.
(4) Addiction-like use of social media and design factors
that lead to unhealthy and harmful overuse of social media.
(d) Additional Study.--Not earlier than 4 years after
enactment, the Commission shall seek to enter into a contract
with the National Academy under which the National Academy
shall conduct an additional study and report covering the
matters described in subsection (c) for the purposes of
providing additional information, considering new research,
and other matters.
(e) Content of Reports.-- The comprehensive studies and
reports conducted pursuant to this section shall seek to
evaluate impacts and advance understanding, knowledge, and
remedies regarding the harms to minors posed by social media
and other online platforms, and may include recommendations
related to public policy.
(f) Active Studies.--If the National Academy is engaged in
any active studies on the matters described in subsection (c)
at the time that it enters into a contract with the
Commission to conduct a study under this section, it may base
the study to be conducted under this section on the active
study, so long as it otherwise incorporates the requirements
of this section.
(g) Collaboration.--In designing and conducting the studies
under this section, the Commission, the Secretary, and the
National Academy shall consult with the Surgeon General and
the Kids Online Safety Council.
(h) Access to Data.--
(1) Fact-finding authority.--The Commission may issue
orders under section 6(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act
(15 U.S.C. 46(b)) to require covered platforms to provide
reports, data, or answers in writing as necessary to conduct
the studies required under this section.
(2) Scope.--In exercising its authority under paragraph
(1), the Commission may issue orders to no more than 5
covered platforms per study under this section.
(3) Confidential access.--Notwithstanding section 6(f) or
21 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 46, 57b-2),
the Commission shall enter in agreements with the National
Academy to share appropriate information received from a
covered platform pursuant to an order under such subsection
(b) for a comprehensive study under this section in a
confidential and secure manner, and to prohibit the
disclosure or sharing of such information by the National
Academy. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to
preclude the disclosure of any such information if authorized
or required by any other law.

SEC. 3. AGE VERIFICATION STUDY AND REPORT.

(a) Study.--The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with
the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade
Commission, shall conduct a study evaluating the most
technologically feasible methods and options for developing
systems to verify age at the device or operating system
level.
(b) Contents.--Such study shall consider--
(1) the benefits of creating a device or operating system
level age verification system;
(2) what information may need to be collected to create
this type of age verification system;
(3) the accuracy of such systems and their impact or steps
to improve accessibility, including for individuals with
disabilities;
(4) how such a system or systems could verify age while
mitigating risks to user privacy and data security and
safeguarding minors' personal data, emphasizing minimizing
the amount of data collected and processed by covered
platforms and age verification providers for such a system;
(5) the technical feasibility, including the need for
potential hardware and software changes, including for
devices currently in commerce and owned by consumers; and
(6) the impact of different age verification systems on
competition, particularly the risk of different age
verification systems creating barriers to entry for small
companies.
(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the agencies described in subsection
(a) shall submit a report containing the results of the study
conducted under such subsection to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
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