ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 4013

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 23, 2026

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably an Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 4013.

      The committee substitute requires the Social Media Research Center, or “center,” which would be established pursuant to Assembly Bill No. 4014 and Senate Bill No. 3411 of 2026-2027, to research and make recommendations, in coordination with the Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness within the Department of Health, regarding:  (1) the impact of addictive social media behaviors among covered children and covered minors on public health; (2) the structure and design of warning labels on online services owned, operated, controlled, or provided by covered online service providers, if any, that are designed to reduce addictive social media behaviors among covered children and covered minors and reduce any burden to be placed upon covered online service providers; (3) the impact, if any, of warning labels on online services owned, operated, controlled, or provided by covered online service providers at reducing addictive social media behaviors among covered children and covered minors; and (4) the impact, if any, of including mandatory disclaimers concerning addictive social media behaviors among covered children and covered minor users, and any resources to mitigate those behaviors, in the advertising of online services owned, operated, controlled, or provided by covered online service providers.

      No later than 18 months after the effective date of the substitute or Assembly Bill No. 4014 and Senate Bill No. 3411 of 2026-2027, whichever is later, the substitute requires the center to issue a final report containing the center’s findings and recommendations to deter or mitigate addictive social media behaviors to the Governor, the Department of Health, and the Legislature, based upon the research findings identified under the substitute.

      The Commissioner of Health, or “commissioner,” is required to review the center’s final report.  The commissioner may, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Law and Public Safety, and taking into consideration the recommendations set forth in the center’s final report, adopt such rules and regulations as deemed appropriate to implement the recommendations contained in the report and to deter and reduce addictive social media behaviors among covered children and covered minors.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.