California’s age-verification bill, AB 3080, has been effectively halted after being placed in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File due to its potential cost implications. The decision to suspend the bill means it is unlikely to move forward, a significant victory for privacy advocates and industry groups that opposed the legislation.

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) played an active role in opposing AB 3080, which aimed to enforce stricter age-verification measures for accessing adult content online. The FSC testified against the bill in committee hearings, held meetings with legislators, and rallied industry members and allies to voice their concerns. In June, after extensive discussions with Assemblymember Juan Alanis, who introduced the bill, the FSC withdrew its formal opposition following amendments that addressed some of the group’s key concerns. However, other privacy and civil liberties organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, FIRE, ACLU, and Woodhull Freedom Foundation, remained opposed.

“We thank Assemblymember Alanis for working so earnestly with us throughout the life of this bill,” said Alison Boden, Executive Director of the Free Speech Coalition. “We completely agree with the need to keep minors from accessing age-inappropriate content without unintentionally blocking millions of adult consumers. We continue to believe this is possible and look forward to working with him and other members of the Assembly in future sessions.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee placed AB 3080 in its “suspense file,” a procedural move used for bills with significant fiscal impact. Bills in this file are held until the state budget is finalized and are then evaluated based on available revenue. With California facing an ongoing budget deficit, legislation in the suspense file is unlikely to advance, effectively killing the bill.

AB 3080’s defeat marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over online content regulation, privacy rights, and the protection of minors. The Free Speech Coalition and other advocacy groups have emphasized the importance of finding a balanced approach that safeguards children while respecting the rights of adults to access legal content.

You can follow FSC on X at @fscarmy.