Westford’s state representative helps advance social-media restrictions for minors and $4.58B transportation bond bill

Westford State Representative Jim Rierro helped advance two major bills in the Massachusetts House that the broadcast described as affecting youth online access and statewide transportation funding.

The first bill would restrict minors’ access to social media by prohibiting children under 14 from creating accounts and requiring verified parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. It would obliged social media companies to implement age-verification systems and could impose civil penalties for noncompliance. The proposal also directs school districts to adopt bell-to-bell policies restricting personal electronic device use during the school day while ensuring parents can reach children when necessary and requiring accommodations for students with medical or educational needs. The legislation calls for age-appropriate instruction on social media topics including cyberbullying and mental health, and a pilot program to test technology that limits phone access while preserving emergency communication.

The second measure is a transportation and infrastructure bonding bill authorizing $4.58 billion in borrowing to support roads, bridges and transit projects. The package includes a one-year $300 million authorization for the Chapter 90 local-aid program (with a split for formula distribution and mileage-based allocations), $1.1 billion for targeted transportation initiatives, $500 million for life-cycle asset management for severely deteriorated roads and bridges, and earmarks for stormwater and pedestrian improvements and MBTA electrification investments. The broadcast reported both bills passed the House—by a wide margin for the social media and school policy bill and unanimously for the transportation bill—and now await Senate consideration.

The program account of the House votes did not list roll-call tallies for Westford’s delegation on air; the segment presented the bills as moving to the Senate for further action.