Subcommittees

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is holding two Subcommittee Hearings and one Full Committee Markup. Read more below.  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade is holding a hearing to examine ways to protect children and teens online.  DATE: Tuesday, December 2, 2025  TIME: 10:15 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building  SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING: The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing to discuss the cyber and physical security of our electric grid.  DATE: Tuesday, December 2, 2025  TIME: 10:30 AM ET  LOCATION: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building  FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP: The Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a markup of 15 bills.  DATE: Wednesday, December 3, 2025  TIME: 10:00 AM ET  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building     ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online . Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing to discuss legislative solutions to protect children online.  “Our children are facing an online epidemic. This issue is personal – we have parents on both sides of the aisle, and we all have constituents who have been affected. They are why we’re here today. “We’re examining almost twenty bills, which together form a comprehensive strategy to protect kids online. Our approach is straightforward: protect kids, empower parents, and future proof our legislation as new risks and technologies emerge. “These bills are not standalone solutions. They complement and reinforce one another to create the safest possible environment for children. There is no one-size-fits-all bill to protect kids online--and our plan reflects that. “Parents must be empowered to safeguard their children online. Just as a parent can observe their children’s activities and social behaviors at home and at school functions, so should they be able to check on their kid’s activities online. Our bills ensure parents have the tools and resources to keep their children safe in the modern world. A child’s life in the 21st century is much more complex than generations past, and parents need the tools to adapt. “Our bills are mindful of the Constitution’s protections for free speech. We’ve seen it in the states –laws with good intentions have been struck down for violating the First Amendment. We are learning from those experiences because a law that gets struck down in court does not protect a single child. And the status quo is unacceptable. “All our bills employ this strategy–including the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, that I am proud to lead. KOSA sets a national standard to protect kids across America. It mandates default safeguards and easy-to-use parental controls to empower families. “It blocks children from being exposed to or targeted with ads for illegal or inappropriate content like drugs and alcohol. It takes on addictive design features that keep kids hooked and harm their mental health. And most importantly, it holds Big Tech accountable with mandatory audits and strong enforcement by the FTC and state attorneys general. “I made precise changes to ensure KOSA is durable. Don’t mistake durability for weakness – this bill has teeth. By focusing on design features rather than protected speech we will ensure it can withstand legal challenge while delivering real protections for kids and families. “I am proud of the members of this subcommittee for working on legislation to address a myriad of harms and challenges. This issue is personal to every one of us up here, and it shows in the number of bills before us today. I know this is a shared, bipartisan goal – my office is open, call me, or find me on the floor. Let’s find a way to work together and save America’s kids from the threats they are facing online.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, led a legislative hearing titled Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online. “For too long, tech companies have failed to adequately protect children and teens from the dangers of the online world. Today, we examined a suite of online safety bills designed to address the growing challenges facing our kids in the digital age,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “Parents, educators, and lawmakers all agree that meaningful, lasting protections are urgently needed—and today’s discussion marked an important step toward achieving them.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Neal Dunn (FL-02): “We’re living through a crisis right now. We’ve handed our children’s devices that are more powerful than the most powerful computers that sent men to the moon, but we’ve failed to install the digital equivalent of seatbelts and smoke detectors.” Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15): “Digital technologies change so fast that even the most engaged parents struggle to keep up with the latest apps and features. That’s why the Promoting a Safe Internet for Minors Act would direct the FTC to launch a nationwide education campaign to help kids and parents learn how to stay safe.” Congressman John James (MI-10): “Just as brick-and-mortar stores are held responsible for selling age restricted materials like tobacco or alcohol to minors, the App Store Accountability Act will hold digital app stores accountable for providing adult or addictive material to minors as well.” ###