HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3380        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1797

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing a special legislative commission to study the use of IVRs and other strategies by social media platforms.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/17/2025

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

1/17/2025

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

1/31/2025

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

3/10/2025

Kelly W. Pease

4th Hampden

3/24/2025


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3380        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1797

By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1797) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others for an investigation and study by a special legislative commission (including members of the General Court) to study the use of IVRs and other strategies by social media platforms.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

 

An Act establishing a special legislative commission to study the use of IVRs and other strategies by social media platforms.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. There shall be established a special legislative commission to study the use of intermittent variable rewards and other strategies by social media platforms. The commission’s study shall include, but not be limited to, the use of intermittent variable rewards as a psychologically manipulative tool to prolong adolescent users’ time spent on social media platforms. 

SECTION 2. The commission shall consist of: the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary, who shall serve as co-chairs, ; 1 member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 member appointed by the president of the senate;1 member appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 1 member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; the commissioner of mental health or their designee, the secretary of public health or their designee, and the attorney general or their designee. 

SECTION 3. The commission shall submit its report, along with any recommendations, to the clerk’s office of the house of representatives and the senate no later than 1 year after the passage of this act.