Committee hears bill to require trusts for minors earning from online content; discussion ends with bills carried over

Representative Robbins opened a package of four bills by citing rising rates of anxiety and depression among teenagers and arguing social media often fills gaps when parents are absent. He described HB 170 as aimed at protecting minors who earn income from online content: "If you are a content creator and you are a minor and you make over $20,000 a year, a trust must be established to protect your money," Robbins said.

Under Robbins's description, the trust would function similarly to longstanding protections in the motion-picture industry: trustees (which could be parents, attorneys or other third parties) would be able to pay for health, education and other needs before the minor reaches adulthood. Robbins said the rule is intended to prevent parents or guardians from spending a child's earnings irresponsibly.

Several members raised practical and philosophical questions. Representative Karnes said the proposal "sounds almost big brother ish to me," and Representative Drummond worried the measure might remove authority from parents and be "a solution in search of a problem" in Alabama given limited documented cases. Committee members pressed how the $20,000 figure would be calculated, whether platforms would be required to report earnings, how family businesses differed from influencer agreements, and whether drug use or abuse should be an explicit exception.

The sponsor replied that earnings are reported like other income (comparable to a 1099) and that trustees can be nonparents if necessary to protect a child's funds; he repeatedly referenced the motion-picture precedent and said the bills are intended to update protections for a new era of content creation.

The committee did not vote on the bills. After extended debate the panel lost its quorum and the chair agreed to carry all four bills over for further work and refinement.

Next steps: sponsors said they will continue to work with interested members and outside parties to clarify definitions, reporting mechanisms and exceptions before the bills return to committee.