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.”

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