Ohio Advances Age-Verification Redo Bill

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Correspondent | Adult Industry News

COLUMBUS, OH — (March 6, 2026) — Ohio lawmakers are once again moving to tighten online age-verification requirements after advancing a revised bill designed to close legal loopholes that previously allowed some digital platforms to avoid compliance.

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The proposed legislation — known as the Innocence Act (House Bill 84) — cleared the Ohio House Technology and Innovation Committee this week with a unanimous vote, pushing the measure to the House floor for debate and a possible vote in the coming weeks.

Supporters of the bill say the updated legislation is intended to strengthen Ohio’s enforcement powers against websites that host significant amounts of adult content while clarifying how the state’s age-verification requirements apply to online platforms.

If passed by the legislature, the bill is widely expected to be signed into law by Mike DeWine, who has previously supported efforts to regulate online adult content accessibility.

Why Lawmakers Are Calling It a “Redo”

The updated legislation follows disputes surrounding Ohio’s previous age-verification law, which some companies argued contained legal gaps.

One major point of contention involved the interpretation of Section 230, a federal statute that shields online platforms from liability for third-party content posted by users.

Companies operating large content platforms argued that the earlier law’s wording effectively exempted services classified as “interactive computer services,” limiting Ohio’s ability to enforce age-verification rules.

Lawmakers sponsoring the new bill say the revised language directly addresses that interpretation.

The measure is being led by Ohio state Representatives Steve Demetriou and Josh Williams, who collaborated with the office of Dave Yost on enforcement provisions.

Civil Penalties Replace Criminal Charges

Unlike earlier proposals, the revised bill does not include criminal penalties for violations.

Instead, it introduces a civil enforcement structure that could impose significant financial penalties on companies that fail to implement age-verification systems.

According to the bill’s sponsors, websites that do not comply with the law could face fines of up to $100,000 per day for violations.

Supporters argue that shifting the penalties from criminal enforcement to civil fines makes the law easier to enforce while still providing a strong incentive for compliance.

A Growing National Trend

Ohio’s proposal is part of a broader national movement in which state governments are attempting to regulate how online platforms verify user ages before allowing access to certain categories of digital content.

Several states have already adopted similar measures, while others continue debating legislation that addresses youth access to online material.

Legal analysts say the issue sits at the intersection of internet regulation, digital privacy, and constitutional free-speech concerns, making it one of the most closely watched policy debates involving the modern internet.

As the Ohio legislature prepares for a floor vote, technology companies, digital rights groups and website operators across the country are monitoring the bill closely.

Stay with JRL CHARTS Policy News as we continue tracking the rapid expansion of online age-verification laws and how new regulations could reshape digital platforms, internet policy and content access across the United States.