HB23-1306 Summary

• Establishes that privately-administered social media accounts of state and local elected officials are private accounts that do not create a public forum.

• Grants state and local elected officials sole discretion to permanently or temporarily restrict or ban individuals from their private social media accounts for any reason, including bullying, harassment, or intimidation.

• Defines bullying as conduct intending to coerce or cause physical, mental, or emotional harm by written expression, electronic acts, or patterns of behavior.

• Defines harassment as communication intended to alarm or cause substantial emotional distress, threaten bodily injury or property damage, or making obscene comments by electronic means.

• Clarifies the law does not infringe on First Amendment rights or prevent expression of religious, political, or philosophical views.