As part of their efforts to empower parents, Senate Republicans are promoting two bills they filed to protect kids and empower parents.

Senate Bill 2590 would create the Adult Content Age Verification Act, requiring pornography websites to verify a person’s age before allowing them to view content.

A recent report found that on average most teens are first exposed to online pornography at age 12. More than half were exposed accidentally, including from friends or classmates, search engine results, social media, or by clicking links, according to the report’s findings.

The legislation was filed by State Senator Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon.)

“Leading health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, warn that consuming pornography as a minor can be associated with a variety of negative emotional, psychological, behavioral and physical health outcomes,” said Sen. Harriss. “My legislation puts the health of our children first, by implementing reasonable verification requirements that should be expected of businesses profiting off non-verified underaged viewers.”

Harriss’ legislation identifies the “reasonable age verification methods” a business must follow to comply.

The legislation was the focus of a Capitol press conference on March 14, along with another bill which would provide transparency on school curriculums for parents.

Senate Bill 2772, filed by State Senator Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia), would require schools to list learning materials and curriculum details on district websites.

The bill would require school boards to update information for the following semesters on their websites by August 1 and January 1 of every school year. The material must remain publicly available until the next report is completed and posted.

“Parents should know what their children are being taught in school, so they can serve as an active participant in their child’s education,” said Senator Anderson.