Establishes Social Media Research Center at four-year public institution of higher education.
What changed between versions
The center's establishment is now 'subject to appropriation' and the explicit requirement that the Legislature annually appropriate necessary funds was removed, meaning funding is no longer guaranteed by the bill itself.
The grant program peer review no longer must be modeled on the NIH process, and the explicit equal-access language for all qualified investigators was removed. Grant funds are now specified as 'State-appropriated research funds.'
The entire Section 1 containing legislative findings (citing the Surgeon General's May 2023 advisory on social media and youth mental health) was deleted.
Two research activities were removed: researching age-appropriate screen times and content, and conducting public awareness campaigns to promote responsible social media use and media literacy.
State departments and agencies may now proactively submit research requests and questions to the center (previously they could only provide data upon the center's request).
Selection of the host institution now requires coordination between the Secretary of Higher Education and the Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness in the Department of Health, based on institutional capacity, interest, and existing expertise. The host must provide administrative support including oversight by its existing research review procedures.
A new research mandate requires the center to conduct research and make recommendations on topics required by law related to the impact of addictive social media behaviors on children and minors and the extent to which warning labels and other disclaimers reduce such behaviors.
Publication sharing is now limited to publications 'supported by those grants' rather than all research publications from the center and grant recipients.
Online courses and training modules on safe social media use must now be made available 'at no charge to schools in the State' (previously just 'available to public schools').
A new data-sharing provision adds 'notwithstanding any other law or regulation to the contrary' language, requires privacy protections for all data transmitted, mandates compliance with HIPAA and applicable federal/State law, and requires the center to review and approve data use agreements or business associate agreements.
Reporting frequency changed from every five years to annually. The report must now be made publicly available and must include information on research requests received from State departments and agencies.
