Skip to main content
HR 3089 104th Congress House

Online Parental Control Act of 1996

Official title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 in order to provide parents with greater control of their children's access to online material.

Introduced: April 30, 1996 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics CommerceComputer crimesComputer networksComputer software
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Crime and Law EnforcementCriminal liabilityFamiliesFederal preemptionInteractive mediaLabelingLawLiability (Law)MinorsPornographyScience, Technology, CommunicationsState lawsTelephone
This bill died when the 104th Congress ended
It never became law before the 104th Congress (1995–1996) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 18, 1996
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance.
Mar 14, 1996
Referred to the House Committee on Commerce.
Mar 14, 1996
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E358)
Mar 14, 1996
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action March 18, 1996

Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Online Parental Control Act of 1996 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the use of a telephone for making communications that are harmful to minors (currently, indecent). Prohibits the use of an interactive computer service to send or make available to any person under 18 years of age a communication that is harmful to minors. (Current law prohibits any such communication that depicts or describes, in patently offensive terms, sexual or excretory activities or organs.) Defines "harmful to minors" for purposes of such changes.

Protects from Federal communications indecency laws any person who in good faith: (1) labeled the communication as inappropriate for minors; (2) placed such communications in a segregated access site identified as inappropriate for minors; (3) otherwise established a mechanism for enabling such communication to be automatically blocked or screened; or (4) installed or provided some device, system, or method that allows adults to prevent access to such communications by minors. Protects from criminal or civil liability under State law any provider or user of an interactive computer service, information content provider, or access software provider that takes one of the above steps.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3089: Online Parental Control Act of 1996. 104th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-3089/
MLA
"H.R. 3089: Online Parental Control Act of 1996." 104th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-3089/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3089, 104th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-3089/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3089: Online Parental Control Act of 1996](https://openamerica.io/bill/104-HR-3089/)
Report a problem