TX HB4294

Requires app store owners to verify users' ages using commercially reasonable methods and assign age categories: "child" (under 13), "teenager" (13-16), "older teenager" (17), "adult" (18-20), and "legal adult" (21+)

Mandates parental consent for each individual app download, app purchase, or in-app purchase made by minors under 18, with disclosure of the app's age rating and content that led to that rating

Requires software application developers to assign age ratings to their apps and in-app purchases, provide time-limiting features for parents to monitor minors' usage, and notify app stores before making material changes to terms of service or functionality

App stores must display age ratings and content descriptors for all apps, share user age category and parental consent information with developers, and make parental controls easy to find and operate

Authorizes civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation ($20,000 for knowing or repeated violations), with enforcement by the attorney general and a private cause of action allowing parents to recover actual damages and attorney's fees; enforcement actions may not begin before March 1, 2027