119-HR-6499 Journalist Public Summary
119 · HR 6499 Assessing Safety Tools for Parents and Minors Act
H.R. 6499 would direct the Federal Trade Commission to review how tech companies and others promote online safety for minors and deliver a recommendations report, starting the review within 6 months of enactment and reporting within 3 years; it was introduced on December 9, 2025 by Rep. Russ Fulcher (R‑ID) and Rep. Greg Landsman (D‑OH) and is currently in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Headline Summary
A bipartisan House bill would have the Federal Trade Commission study what online safety tools for kids work today and report back with recommendations to Congress, agencies, and industry.
What It Does
If enacted, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would, within 6 months, start a review of industry efforts to keep minors safe online—including education initiatives, parental and child safety tools, age‑appropriate content labels, and privacy or other safety settings—and evaluate how effective those measures are. The FTC would consult with industry, parents, communications‑technology and parental‑control experts, privacy specialists, mental‑health experts, and other relevant parties, then deliver a report with findings and recommendations within 3 years of enactment. The bill defines a minor as under age 17 and exempts this Act from the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Who’s For It
- Sponsors: Rep. Russ Fulcher (R‑Idaho) and Rep. Greg Landsman (D‑Ohio), indicating bipartisan interest in assessing current tools before mandating new ones.
- Stakeholders the bill brings to the table (for consultation, not endorsement): industry, parents, tech/parental‑control experts, privacy specialists, and mental‑health experts.
Who’s Against It
- No formal opposition is recorded at introduction.
- Potential concerns observers may raise:
- • Timeline: a 3‑year reporting window could delay policy action if urgent changes are sought.
- • Scope: it orders a review and recommendations but imposes no immediate requirements on companies.
- • Process: exempting the Act from the Paperwork Reduction Act could reduce typical procedural checks tied to information collection.
What’s Next
- Status (as of December 9, 2025)
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Near‑term steps
- Possible committee hearings and a markup. If approved, it may get a House floor vote, then move to the Senate.
- If enacted
- FTC begins the review within 6 months and submits the report within 3 years.
Discussion