Senate Approves Child Protection in the Digital Age Task Force Measure

HARRISBURG - Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Resolution 244 introduced by Senator Tracy Pennycuick (R-24th) to establish a Task Force on Child Protection in the Digital Age. Along with Pennycuick, Senators Wayne Langerholc (R-35) and Scott Martin (R-13) are co-prime sponsors of the measure.

The legislation would direct the Joint State Government Commission to convene a task force, to meet no less than once every two years, to review Pennsylvania's existing statutes, assess emerging technologies, and identify statutory gaps in protections for children in the digital environment. The commission will issue a report and recommendation for action to the General Assembly.

"Technology is advancing faster than the laws designed to protect children online," said Pennycuick. "The rapid growth of artificial intelligence, social media, algorithm-driven content, and digital manipulation has introduced new and increasingly complex threats to minors, including exploitation, exposure to harmful material, and adverse mental health impacts. As these technologies evolve, we must continually review and update our laws to ensure they provide strong, effective protections for our children."

"The Senate's unanimous approval strengthens and expands our ongoing commitment to protecting children from the threats of the digital world," said Langerholc. "This task force will equip the Commonwealth to anticipate emerging challenges and safeguard the well-being of our youth."

"Young people face threats online today that were unthinkable just a few years ago, from harmful chat bots to dangerously sophisticated sextortion and child trafficking schemes, to name just a few," Martin said. "We have made tremendous progress in recent years to protect young people against these dangers. This new task force will help make sure we keep pace with new and emerging threats young people face every time they look at their phone or computer."

The proposal builds upon work by the legislature to address digital harms to children. In 2024, the General Assembly passed Pennycuick's legislation, now Act 125 of 2024, to combat AI generated child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). In 2025, Pennycuick's legislation to classify deepfakes as digital forgery was signed into law as Act 35 of 2025.

The Senate also approved Senate Bill 1050, which would strengthen reporting requirements for AI-generated CSAM, and Senate Bill 1090, which would establish commonsense safeguards for AI chatbots accessible by minors.

In 2021, the General Assembly established a similar Task Force on Child Pornography, which examined deficiencies in existing law and recommended reforms, including updating terminology to align with national standards.

By establishing an ongoing review process, this legislation ensures that Pennsylvania's laws keep pace with the digital age and that our statutes and policies are continually reevaluated, updated, and strengthened to close gaps and protect children. The measure now goes to the state House of Representatives for consideration.