Kathleen Passidomo charts a path for social media bill if vetoed by Gov. DeSantis

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she had no intention of giving trans-stifling ID bills play in the chamber. Image via Florida Politics.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo is suggesting that state legislators will revamp a bill to prohibit minors under 16 from having a social media account after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes the legislation.

Passidomo said she expected DeSantis to veto HB 1, but added that DeSantis and House Speaker Paul Renner were “close” on crafting a backup plan that all sides could accept. DeSantis has until Friday to act on the bill, which is a top priority for Renner.

The plan laid out by Passidomo would call on the Senate to take up another bill — HB 3 — and to amend it and send it to the full Senate. That bill, which contained an age verification requirement for those wanting to access adult online access, was referred to but never acted on by the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee. Instead, Senators added provisions to HB 1 before approving it.

“I feel confident that something is going to happen like that,” Passidomo said.

DeSantis has repeatedly voiced concerns about the legality of HB 1 and how it impacts parental rights. The legislation prohibits social media accounts for minors even if they have parental permission.

Renner and legislators pushing the measure have defended the outright ban on social media accounts for minors, saying tech companies have created a product that proves harmful to the mental health of young people.

“These addictive features and personalized algorithms are vials of poison,” Renner said last week.

The social media bill has been one of the most closely watched of the entire Session. Legislators pushed ahead on the bill even though DeSantis kept suggesting that he was not in favor of the measure.

Legislators could theoretically attempt to override the Governor’s veto, but to do so requires a two-thirds vote. HB 1 did not pass by a veto-proof margin in the Senate after a handful of GOP Senators voted against it.