Ohio House Bill 96 (H.B. 96) is a 2025 law in the state of Ohio that renews the state operating budget through FY 2027, along with other provisions. It was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on June 30, 2025 and took effect on September 30, 2025.
The bill gained attention due to the merger of House Bill 84, also known as the Innocence Act, which requires websites that provide adult content to verify users' age using ID or other means. Similar laws in other states such as Texas have been permitted by the Supreme Court of the United States, most recently in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton. Aylo, which manages the pornography site Pornhub, has restricted access to states which have passed similar laws in the past.
Provisions House Bill 84, which was merged into House Bill 96, requires adult online services and websites to verify that people in Ohio using their services are at least 18 years old. It allows the use of a state ID, personal information which would be scanned through online databases, or facial recognition to determine age. Any information given to said services have to be deleted immediately after verification, unless the user is actively subscribed to a service. Services that do not comply with the provisions can face lawsuits by the Ohio Attorney General. Social media sites, cable providers and news providers are exempt from the law.
Separately, the bill increases funding for state libraries by $10,000,000 through fiscal year 2027. The bill also affects transgender people by banning public facilities from placing menstrual products in men's restrooms, including tampons.
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