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E&C holds hearing on Carter's bill protecting kids' online safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) today held a Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee hearing entitled “Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online,” which included Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter’s (R-GA) bipartisan bill, Sammy’s Law. 

 

Sammy’s Law is a bill safeguarding children online by informing parents about dangerous interactions on social media. The bill, which gives parents the choice to use third-party safety software to protect their children from harmful situations on social media, is named after Sammy Chapman, who, at the age of 16, was approached by a drug dealer on Snapchat and was unknowingly a victim of fentanyl poisoning.

 

“Our children are being victimized by bad actors on social media,” said Rep. Carter. “As a father and a grandfather, my heart aches for Sammy’s parents and any others who have lost a child too soon. No parent should have to endure that pain. I believe Sammy’s Law is essential to addressing this silent epidemic that is in homes across America, as it would offer effective barriers against drug abuse, human trafficking, mental health crises, eating disorders, and other harmful situations before they endanger our children. I thank the Energy and Commerce Committee for holding this hearing today and urge continued bipartisan support for this critical, life-saving legislation.”


Read full bill text here.




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