Kansas Bill Seeks Parental Consent for Kids' App Downloads

Proposed legislation aims to give parents more control over what apps their children can access.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 9:04am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Kansas Senate is considering a bill, the App Store Accountability Act, that would require parental consent before minors can download apps on their devices. The bill is designed to provide parents with more oversight and control over the digital content their children are accessing, addressing concerns around age-inappropriate apps, cyberbullying, and other online risks.

Why it matters

The bill is part of a growing trend of state-level efforts to regulate the digital landscape and provide parents with more tools to protect their children online. With app stores serving as the primary gateways to the digital world for many young people, supporters argue that meaningful safeguards need to be implemented at this level to ensure kids' safety and wellbeing.

The details

Senate Bill 372, the App Store Accountability Act, would require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps. This would work by linking parent and child accounts, giving parents a centralized system to manage the apps available on their kids' devices. The bill is modeled after similar laws passed in other states like Utah, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama.

  • The Kansas Senate voted to advance Senate Bill 372 to the House of Representatives in March 2026.
  • The House Committee on Federal and State Affairs is expected to hold a hearing on the bill in the coming weeks.

The players

Kansas Senate Bill 372

Also known as the App Store Accountability Act, this proposed legislation would require parental consent for minors to download apps.

Kansas State Senate

The state legislative body that voted to advance Senate Bill 372 to the House of Representatives.

Kansas House of Representatives

The state legislative body that will consider Senate Bill 372 after it was advanced by the Senate.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“App stores serve as the primary gateways to the digital world, and parents agree that is where meaningful safeguards must begin. Parental consent, truth in advertising, contracting fairness and age-gating are common-sense safety guardrails that ought to be built-in to app stores, just as they are in the real world.”

— Kansas State Senator

“Recent polling shows overwhelming bipartisan support for Senate Bill 372's core premise: 81% of Kansans, including 82% of parents, support requiring app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps.”

— Kansas State Senator

What’s next

The Kansas House of Representatives' Committee on Federal and State Affairs is expected to hold a hearing on Senate Bill 372 in the coming weeks, after which the full House will consider the legislation.

The takeaway

This bill reflects a growing national trend of state-level efforts to provide parents with more tools and oversight to protect their children in the digital age. By requiring app stores to obtain parental consent before minors can download apps, Kansas aims to create a safer online environment for young people and address concerns around cyberbullying, age-inappropriate content, and other digital risks.