In a move that could reshape how Texans — particularly minors — access mobile apps, the Texas House on Thursday afternoon passed legislation mandating age verification and parental consent for users seeking to download applications. The bill, which had bipartisan backing, cleared the chamber after extensive debate and a few procedural skirmishes.
The legislation, House Bill 4901 by Rep. Caroline Fairly (R-Amarillo), along with its companion Senate Bill 2420 carried by Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney), requires users to verify their age via ID before downloading apps. For users under 18, parental consent will be mandatory. The policy shifts significant responsibility onto app stores to enforce these requirements — not individual app developers.
“This is about transparency and protecting our children,” Fairly said during floor debate. “Parents deserve to know what apps their kids are downloading and be involved in that decision.”
Fairly emphasized two major concerns her legislation addresses: the contractual nature of downloading apps — which can involve sharing personal data — and the lack of visibility many parents have into their children’s mobile activity.
“Right now, when parents and kids download apps, they are entering into a contractual agreement — essentially giving over their data to big tech, which they then sell online,” she said.
Before its House passage, the bill already cleared the Senate with relatively little resistance. However, Thursday’s debate in the House was more contentious. Rep. John Bryant (D-Dallas) raised procedural points of order and voiced concern that the bill actually removes accountability from app developers themselves.
“This bill relieves the very people who are creating harmful content for children of the obligation to verify the age of users,” Bryant argued.
He offered an amendment to require individual apps to verify users’ age, not just the app stores. The amendment, however, was withdrawn after criticism from Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano), who argued it would be impractical to enforce across “over a million applications.”
In a surprise twist, an identical amendment — filed by Rep. Ann Johnson (D-Houston) — was later accepted by Fairly, triggering frustration from Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D-Richardson), who accused Fairly of partisanship and inconsistency.
“You denied the same amendment from a fellow member, only to accept it later when it came from someone else — that’s not leadership, it’s political theater,” Ramos said.
Johnson later apologized for the confusion, explaining she was unaware her amendment was a duplicate.
Despite the drama, the bill ultimately passed with strong bipartisan support. Fairly celebrated its passage, calling it a victory for parents and children alike.
“This bill ensures minors are protected from downloading apps and entering into contracts without their parents’ knowledge or permission,” she said.
Sen. Paxton also praised Fairly for her “tireless work,” adding that the bill “puts parents back in the driver’s seat and protects the privacy of our kids.”
Differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill will be reconciled in a conference committee before the legislation is sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. If signed, the new rules would go into effect in January 2026.
The proposal has drawn national attention, in part due to its similarity to federal legislation proposed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). Lee’s App Store Accountability Act has received mixed reactions, including from Donald Trump Jr., who both endorsed the idea of parental oversight but also criticized state versions of the bill for requiring personal ID to be shared with tech companies.
“Kids aren’t allowed to go on field trips without parental consent,” Trump Jr. tweeted. “But now Texans will have to hand over personal ID just to download an app? What is going on in Texas?”
Critics argue that the bill could raise privacy and security concerns by forcing app stores — and potentially their corporate owners — to collect and store sensitive identification data. Supporters counter that app stores already have access to users’ birthdates, and the law simply codifies a system to ensure that data is used to protect minors.
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