A measure aimed at requiring commercial pornography websites to screen sexual material before it goes online will not move forward this year, after Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) vetoed it Friday.
House Bill 2133 was brought forward by Representative Nick Kupper (R-AZ) under the name the Protect Act. It would have placed the burden on commercial websites to confirm that every individual appearing in sexual content was an adult who had given explicit approval for the material to be created and shared.
Under the proposal, platforms would have been obligated to keep documentation of those verifications and put safeguards in place to catch unverified content before it could be posted.
Civil penalties would have started at $10,000 per day, with potential exposure of up to $250,000 in cases involving minors. The state Attorney General and individual victims would both have been able to pursue legal action.
Hobbs' Veto Letter
Gov. Hobbs then outlined her reasoning in a veto letter sent to House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-AZ). Her central concern was the bill's potential impact on constitutionally protected speech.
She referenced statements Kupper made during a committee hearing, saying he described the bill's purpose as requiring elected officials to give consent before being depicted in satirical content, using the animated television show South Park as a reference point.
"This bill has a chilling effect on free speech and would violate First Amendment rights to engage in satirical discourse about elected officials," Hobbs wrote.
The governor pointed to prior action on related issues, noting she had already signed legislation targeting AI-generated revenge pornography and that federal law provides further safeguards.
She said her office sought to collaborate with Kupper on amendments but described those discussions as unproductive.
Kupper pushed back firmly, arguing the bill contained explicit carve-outs protecting satire, artistic work, journalism, and political commentary. He framed the veto as a political decision and said he plans to reintroduce the measure.
