Texas Political Spotlight

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The Texas Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit minors from creating social media accounts, require age verification for all users, and give parents the authority to request account deletions, citing growing concerns about youth mental health. Meanwhile, the Texas House has passed a measure requiring air conditioning in all state prisons by 2032, a response to legal pressure and mounting data linking extreme heat to inmate deaths.

Today’s Insights:

• Texas Legislature Considering Social Media Restrictions for Minors
• Texas House Passes Bill Requiring Air Conditioning in State Prisons

Texas Legislature Considering Social Media Restrictions for Minors

The Texas Legislature is advancing one of the most comprehensive state-level efforts in the nation to restrict minors’ access to social media. HB 186, authored by Rep. Jared Patterson passed the Texas House on April 30 and is now under consideration in the Senate. If enacted, the legislation would prohibit individuals under 18 from creating accounts on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. The bill also mandates age verification for all new users and grants parents the right to request the deletion of their child’s social media accounts, a request companies would be required to honor within 10 days. The legislation defines social media broadly to include any platform that enables users to create and curate content, with exceptions carved out for news and sports websites.

“We see the impact every day. Young people comparing themselves to edited, filtered versions of others, constantly measuring their self worth against impossible standards. We see kids retreat into isolation, chasing approval through likes and follows, while their mental health collapses behind the screen. They're in the most vulnerable stage of their life, puberty, when emotions are high, identities are still forming, and insecurities are at their peak. And in this fragile state, they're being fed a steady diet of confusion, shame, and manufactured inadequacy.

- Senator Adam Hinojosa, Senate Committee on State Affairs

The bill has garnered bipartisan support and comes amid growing concern among lawmakers about the impact of digital platforms on youth mental health. Supporters point to data from the U.S. Surgeon General and national health organizations linking excessive screen time and social media use with increased rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm among adolescents. Pediatric mental health advocates, including Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, author of Glow Kids, have testified that prolonged digital engagement alters brain development in ways comparable to substance dependency. While some Texas teens have argued the bill could stifle their personal and professional growth, especially in areas like athletics and digital entrepreneurship, supporters maintain that the risks to mental health and safety outweigh these concerns.

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In parallel, HB 499, authored by Rep. Mary González, would require social media platforms to include mental health warning labels, akin to those used for tobacco products. Both measures have raised constitutional questions, particularly regarding minors' First Amendment rights and their ability to engage in digital communication and commerce. Industry groups, such as the Computer and Communications Industry Association, have argued that the legislation conflicts with existing contract law and could invite legal challenges.

»»» Watch The Full Senate Committee on State Affairs HB 186 Layout Here «««

Texas House Passes Bill Requiring Air Conditioning in State Prisons

The Texas House has passed legislation that would require the installation of air conditioning in all state-run prisons by the end of 2032, a move aimed at addressing longstanding concerns over extreme heat in correctional facilities. HB 3006, which passed on a 79-39 vote, mandates a three-phase rollout by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), with each phase covering roughly one-third of the state’s facilities and costing an estimated $100 million. The measure sets temperature requirements between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for areas including dormitories, medical units, kitchens, guard stations, and recreational spaces. However, the legislation prohibits use of state funds unless explicitly appropriated by the Legislature.

The bill arrives amid legal and public scrutiny of prison heat conditions. In March, a federal judge ruled that detaining inmates in facilities without air conditioning during periods of extreme heat is unconstitutional, though the court declined to mandate temporary cooling systems while a lawsuit progresses.

“The Court repeats that TDCJ’s current plan to install permanent air conditioning—which on the most generous timeline, would not be complete for another 25 years—is insufficient under the Eighth Amendment,"

- Judge Robert Pitman

Currently, only 32 of Texas’ 101 prison units have fully air-conditioned housing, and approximately 95,000 inmates are housed in uncooled conditions. Research led by Harvard, Brown, and Boston University suggests that 13% of prison deaths in uncooled facilities between 2001 and 2019 were linked to heat.

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