The Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act, a federal age verification bill, failed to advance out of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on August 5, 2026. Despite a party-line vote in favor of the bill, a lack of senators in attendance prevented the committee from meeting quorum, effectively stalling the legislation.

SCREEN Act Stalls in Committee

The SCREEN Act, introduced by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, would have mandated national age verification requirements for users accessing sexually explicit content online. Violations of these requirements would have been treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act's prohibition against unfair or deceptive acts or practices, carrying civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

During an executive markup session led by committee chair Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and ranking member Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, the committee addressed U.S. Coast Guard promotions before moving to legislative matters. Senator Cantwell indicated that she and her fellow Democrats were unable to support Senator Lee's bill. Democrats voted along party lines against the Republican majority, which favored advancing the bill to the full Senate for consideration.

However, Senate procedures dictate that a bill cannot advance if votes were issued by proxy and on behalf of members who were not physically present at the executive session. To advance legislation, the number of senators who voted for passage must outnumber the total number of senators who voted against the bill. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 15-13 to advance the bill, but it did not advance due to the lack of senators in attendance.

Legislative History and Scope

Senator Lee introduced the SCREEN Act in early 2025, marking his third attempt to shepherd such legislation through Congress. Republican Representative Mary Miller introduced a companion bill in the House. Neither version saw movement for a year.

In March, the House Energy and Commerce Committee incorporated an amended version of the SCREEN Act into the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, an omnibus bill combining various online safety bills. The House of Representatives passed the KIDS Act in June. However, the bill faced opposition in the Senate, not due to the SCREEN Act provisions, but because of House/Senate disagreements over language in a more prominent bill included in the package: the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

The committee's revival of the original version of the SCREEN Act and its inclusion on the markup session agenda likely signaled senators' intent to push forward various pieces of online safety legislation individually rather than as part of the House’s KIDS Act package. The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation had slated the markup session for the SCREEN Act this week.

The SCREEN Act's requirements would extend beyond traditional adult content sites. Unlike many state age verification laws, the SCREEN Act has no requirement that a significant portion of a website consist of sexually explicit content that is harmful to minors. The bill requires nearly any service hosting even a single piece of sexually explicit content to verify the ages of its users. This means the bill would apply not only to adult content sites like PornHub or OnlyFans, but also to streaming services like Netflix and social media platforms like Reddit, Discord, or Bluesky, if they host any adult content.

The bill specifically states that "requiring a user to confirm that the user is not a minor shall not be sufficient." This implies that platforms would need to verify users’ ages using methods tied to their real identities.

Industry Response

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) released a statement on August 5, 2026, praising its members and allies following a lobbying effort to prevent the SCREEN Act from advancing. Alison Boden, Executive Director of Free Speech Coalition, stated that the organization helped deliver a significant win against censorship and surveillance. Boden indicated that the FSC had been meeting with Congressional offices and educating committee staff on the issues with the bill, while members and allies contacted legislators.

Boden and other members of the FSC team have been present on Capitol Hill, meeting with legislators to explain issues with platform-based verification. After the SCREEN Act was added to the agenda for the Commerce Committee mark-up session, the FSC alerted allies, sent formal opposition letters to committee staff, and organized a call-in campaign that resulted in thousands of calls and emails over the past week.

Boden stated that the organization wants minors off sites as much as legislators do, but that solutions that actually work are needed, rather than those that drive users to noncompliant foreign sites. She added that the FSC is armed with data, real-world experience, and solutions that can achieve the goal. The FSC thanked its members, allies, and the community for their involvement and support.

Key Facts

  • The SCREEN Act, a federal age verification bill, failed to advance out of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on August 5, 2026.
  • The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, would have mandated national age verification for sexually explicit content online.
  • A party-line vote favored advancing the bill, but a lack of senators in attendance prevented the committee from meeting quorum.
  • Violations of the SCREEN Act would have carried civil penalties of up to $10,000 per instance.
  • The bill's scope would have extended to any online service hosting sexually explicit content, including streaming services and social media platforms.
  • The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) actively lobbied against the bill, citing concerns about censorship, surveillance, and ineffective solutions.