Warner, Husted, Britt Host Bipartisan Podcast on Protecting Kids Online

Watch the full podcast here . WASHINGTON – Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Katie Britt (R-AL) held a discussion on their bipartisan bill, Sammy’s Law. Sammy’s Law would empower parents to protect their children on social media platforms by providing them the right to know if their children are engaging in dangerous or risky interactions. Sammy’s Law was named after 16-year-old Sammy Chapman who lost his life to fentanyl poisoning. He was approached by a drug dealer through social media, who delivered drugs laced with a lethal dose of a fentanyl-laced opioid to his home. Sammy was unaware he was ingesting fentanyl and tragically lost his life. The lawmakers were joined by Sam Chapman, Sammy’s father, who has become a leading advocate for giving parents resources to protect their children online. “As a father, I know how challenging it is for parents to protect their kids from the harmful effects of social media, where children are more exposed than ever to cyberbullying, eating disorders, and other online threats to their wellbeing,” said Sen. Warner. “Sammy Chapman should still be with us today, and it’s our responsibility as lawmakers to protect other children and families from experiencing a similar loss. Sammy’s Law will give parents the choice to be alerted of concerning behaviors on social media, while protecting their personal information. I will continue fighting to get this bipartisan effort passed, so parents have more resources to supervise their children’s social media use.” “Sammy’s story is a tragic one, and it is unfortunately one that has happened too many times across our country. As a father and grandfather, I strongly believe that we need to protect our kids in the digital world the same way we do in the physical world. As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to take action against online threats and predators. We’ll keep working in a bipartisan fashion to get Sammy’s Law across the finish line in the U.S. Senate,” said Sen. Husted. “I often say you don’t have to tell me what it’s like to raise teenagers in today’s digital age because I’m actually doing it, which is why I’m committed to advancing legislation that will help prevent tragedies like Sammy’s from happening. It was a privilege joining Senators Husted and Warner to discuss the need to pass Sammy’s Law. Hearing directly from Sammy’s father, Sammy Chapman, further underscored the critical work Congress has ahead of us to better protect our children online,” said Sen. Britt. “If Sammy’s Law had been in place when Sammy was alive, he’d still be here today. So, for the ones who were left behind, what you all are doing can be lifesaving,” said Sam Chapman. Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-FL) introduced the companion bill to Sammy’s Law in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sammy’s Law would give parents the tools to protect their children and other family members by: Requiring large social media platforms with either 100 million monthly active users or garner $1 billion in gross revenue per year to make real-time application programming interfaces accessible to Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-registered third-party safety software providers. Alerting parents when 15 specific instances or phrases arise that indicate eating disorders, suicidal ideation and sexual harassment. Watch the full podcast here .