Arkansas Age Verification Bill Clears State House

Arkansas Age Verification Bill Clears State House

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas’ SB 66, a Republican bill that would require age verification before “entering a website offering pornography,” cleared the state House last week.

As XBIZ reported, the bill’s language had to be modified earlier this month to clarify distinctions between “corporate entities” and “third party vendors.” The amended bill passed 77-4 on Tuesday, with 14 voting “present,” and headed back to the state Senate for ratification.

SB 66 was introduced in January by state Sen. Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs), who later admitted that his state initiative is only a steppingstone toward the ultimate goal of a federal mandate. The bill is a copycat version of Louisiana’s Act 440, a new law enacted in January after being championed by a religious anti-porn activist Republican legislator.

Dees’ bill proposes requiring a “digitized identification card” to prove the age of anyone in Arkansas trying to enter “any website with over 23.33% of its material meeting the pornography description.”

The bill also claims that “pornography is creating a public health crisis and contributes to the hyper-sexualization of minors.”

Dees, a poultry plant executive who says he spends his free time in Bible study, told Vice magazine in February that he hoped to “protect children and their innocence in [the] state of Arkansas and then send a message across the country that we need something similar built into federal law as well.”

Some Arkansas Republicans, the Arkansas Times reported, expressed concern about the implementation of the proposed state law targeting adult content.

“The vast majority of these sites aren’t always reputable — are we setting our citizens up to give over their drivers licenses for identity theft?” Rep. Stephen Meeks (R-Greenbrier), chair of the House Advanced Communications and Information Technology Committee, noted.

The Arkansas bill, which includes Dees’ definition of what kinds of material would constitute “pornography,” is being promoted amidst what Free Speech Coalition has called a wave of “the most aggressive censorship we’ve seen in decades.” Republicans throughout the country are currently seeking to outlaw all adult content by overturning the 1973 “Miller Test” differentiating First Amendment-protected sexual material from illegal “obscene” material produced to appeal to “a prurient interest.”

Main Image: Anti-porn Arkansas State Senator Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs) (Photo: Arkansas Senate)

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

New EU User Stats Could Reclassify Major Adult Sites Under DSA

Three high-traffic adult sites previously classified as “very large online platforms” under the European Union’s Digital Services Act are reporting user numbers below the threshold for that label, opening the way for possible downgrading of their obligations under that law.

Spicerack Launches 'SpicyFanz' Creator Monetization Platform

Adult product marketplace Spicerack Market has launched its SpicyFanz creator monetization platform.

Singapore Livestreamer Jailed for Performing 'Obscene Acts' in Public

A judge in Singapore on Thursday sentenced a Vietnamese woman to three weeks in jail for livestreaming “obscene acts” from a public area.

FSC Withdraws Support for North Dakota AV Bill

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has withdrawn its support for an age verification bill in North Dakota, following changes made by the state legislature.

APClips Launches New Blog

APClips has launched a blog, AmateurPorn.com.

Centrobill Launches 'Max' Payment Suite

Payment processing service Centrobill has launched its new Max Suite toolkit.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for December, January

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in December and January.

South Dakota Legislators Debate AV Legal Strategies

The South Dakota state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday heard testimony and debate over two competing age verification bills, in a hearing that focused largely on which piece of legislation could best withstand potential legal challenges.

Mobile OnlyFans Management Platform 'TopCreator' Launches

Mobile OnlyFans management and chat platform TopCreator has launched.

JustFor.fans Marks Its 7th Anniversary With Palm Springs Conference

JustFor.fans is celebrating its seventh anniversary with a four-day conference and party in Palm Springs May 18-21.

Show More