SB2064sam001 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Karina Villa

Filed: 3/14/2025

10400SB2064sam001 LRB104 09138 SPS 23949 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2064

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2064 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Commission on Youth Social Media Engagement Act.

Section 5. Findings and intent. The General Assembly finds and declares:

(a) On May 23, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Social Media and Youth Mental Health advisory to recognize the growing impact of social media on youth mental health and well-being as a significant public health challenge that requires immediate awareness and action.

(b) The advisory includes recommendations for policymakers to address this issue, including to "strengthen protections to ensure greater safety for children interacting with all social media platforms".

(c) In the United States, up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 report using social media platforms, and a third of youth report using social media "almost constantly".

(d) A study of youth in the United States ages 12 to 15 found that youth who spend 3 or more hours a day on social media had double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. As of 2021, the average time spent on social media for this age group is 3.5 hours a day, with one in 4 youth spending 5 or more hours a day on the platforms, and one in 5 youth spending 7 or more hours a day on social media.

(e) A systematic review of 42 studies on the effects of excessive social media use found a consistent relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth.

(f) Social media sites are designed to maximize user engagement, which can encourage excessive social media use and behavioral dysregulation. Youth undergo critical periods of brain development, and social media exposure and frequent use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain, including overstimulation of the amygdala, triggering pathways similar to those in individuals with substance use or gambling addictions.

(g) The Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership developed goals in 2022. One of the goals was to "increase public awareness on all issues connected to child mental health and wellness to decrease stigma and promote acceptance, and strengthen children, families, and communities to identify needs and access support with resources and funding".

(h) Understanding more about how technology and health intersect can help solve certain societal problems and improve the mental and physical health of Illinois youth.

(i) It is a matter of statewide concern to provide research-based education and interventions, including resources on the effects of social media use on brain development, how to mitigate the risks associated with social media use, and how to maintain well-being while interacting in online environments, to help youth make informed decisions on responsible social media use.

Section 10. Commission on Youth Social Media Engagement.

(a) The Commission on Youth Social Media Engagement is created. The Commission shall address the growing public health concern regarding the impact of social media on youth mental health by raising awareness of existing research and resources available and making recommendations to mitigate the negative health outcomes of this public health concern on communities in this State. The Commission shall develop a resource bank of existing evidence-based and research-based scholarly articles and materials pertaining to the mental and physical health impacts of social media use by youth, Internet safety, and the impact of screen time on the developing brain and a report including recommendations to the General Assembly concerning actions that the General Assembly may consider to address any mental and physical health impacts of social media use by youth, Internet safety, and the impact of screen time on the developing brain.

(b) The Commission shall consist of the following members:

(1) the Director of the Department of Public Health or the Director's designee, who shall serve as Chair of the Commission;

(2) the Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or the Director's designee;

(3) the State Superintendent of Education or the State Superintendent's designee;

(4) 3 members appointed by the Governor, of which 2 members shall represent the interests of social media platforms;

(5) 3 members appointed by the President of the Senate, of which one member shall represent the interests of parents, one member with experience as a youth mental health professional such as a social worker, child adolescent psychiatrist, or other professional specializing in youth mental health, and not more than one of whom may be a current member of the General Assembly;

(6) 3 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, of which one member shall represent the interests of parents, one member shall have experience as a youth mental health professional such as a social worker, child adolescent psychiatrist, or other professional specializing in youth mental health, and not more than one of whom shall be a current member of the General Assembly;

(7) 3 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, of which one member shall represent the interests of parents, one member shall have experience as a youth mental health professional such as a social worker, child adolescent psychiatrist, or other professional specializing in youth mental health, and not more than one of whom shall be a current member of the General Assembly; and

(8) 3 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, of which one member shall represent the interests of parents, one member shall have experience as a youth mental health professional such as a social worker, child adolescent psychiatrist, or other professional specializing in youth mental health, and not more than one of whom shall be a current member of the General Assembly.

(c) The Commission shall have the following duties:

(1) establish and adopt goals and guiding principles for conducting a review of relevant research and materials to compile a resource bank that will be used to inform youth, parents, and the greater community of the mental and physical health risks associated with youth social media use, Internet safety, and the impact of screen time on the developing brain;

(2) identify the scholarly articles and materials that will be a part of the resource bank;

(3) ensure, to the extent possible, the resource bank materials are youth-friendly, culturally sensitive, and available in both English and Spanish, and may include Internet links to scholarly articles, resources, and materials about the mental and physical health impacts of social media use, Internet safety, and the impact of screen time on the developing brain from entities that the Commission finds reliable;

(4) when possible, as part of the resource bank, identify what grade or age-group materials are appropriate for;

(5) engage with relevant community stakeholders, including youth, for input on what type of information should be included within the resource bank;

(6) prior to finalizing the resource bank and recommendations for the General Assembly as described in subsection (g), gather feedback from youth on the resource bank and recommendations for the General Assembly;

(7) consider what communication tools may be used to advertise the availability of the resource back on the Department's website; and

(8) release a report as described in subsection (g)

(d) The appointing authorities shall make appointments to the Commission as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, and the Chair of the Commission shall convene the first meeting by December 15, 2025. Subsequent meetings of the Commission shall convene at the call of the Chair of the Commission. A majority of all the appointed members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and all recommendations of the Commission shall require approval of a majority of the members of the Commission. Meetings of the Commission are subject to the Open Meetings Act.

(e) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation.

(f) The Department of Public Health shall provide administrative support to the Commission.

(g) On or before June 30, 2026, the Commission shall compile the resource bank on the Department's website and submit to the General Assembly a written report that:

(1) describes the goals and guiding principles selected by the Commission to create the resource bank;

(2) includes information about how to access the resource bank; and

(3) makes recommendations to the General Assembly concerning actions that the General Assembly may consider to address any mental and physical health impacts of social media use by youth, Internet safety, and the impact of screen time on the developing brain.

Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2027.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".