Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signs HB2112 into law

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) - Governor Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) has signed a bill requiring commercial pornography websites to verify a user's age before granting access into law Tuesday.

House Bill (HB) 2112, sponsored by State Representative Nick Kupper (R-District 25), is said to "hold adult websites accountable if they fail to use reasonable age verification methods that do not store or share personal information" while also allowing parents to take legal action if their children "accesses pornography because a company violated the law."

"Arizona families have had enough," said Rep. Kupper. "Hardcore pornography has been just one click away from kids for too long, and the companies behind it have looked the other way while cashing in. This law forces them to take responsibility and keeps minors off their platforms."

While the law won't replace the need for parental controls, HB2112 is said to add an additional "layer of protection by holding websites responsible for who accesses their content" as well as including "strict privacy safeguards to ensure" age verification data is not stored or shared.

If the companies break the law, they could face civil penalties of up to $250,000 if a child gains access to adult content "due to a failure to verify age."

"I'm proud Arizona is stepping up to hold these companies accountable," Kupper said. "Protecting children online shouldn’t be a partisan fight. With this law, Arizona is doing what many states have only talked about."