U.S. Sen. Katie Britt is pushing Sammy’s Law, bipartisan legislation designed to help parents identify dangerous or risky interactions involving their children on social media.
Britt (R-Montgomery) discussed the proposal with U.S. Sens. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) during a podcast hosted by Husted.
It was great to join my colleagues @SenJonHusted and @MarkWarner to discuss Sammy’s Law.
Parents know how to protect their children in the real world, and they deserve the tools to do the same in the digital world. Sammy’s Law would help families protect their children on social… pic.twitter.com/V3YU2S5do4
— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) July 21, 2026
The legislation would allow parents to use third-party safety software to monitor potential threats involving their children’s social media accounts while protecting users’ personal information.
“I often say you don’t have to tell me what it’s like to raise teenagers in today’s digital age because I’m actually doing it, which is why I’m committed to advancing legislation that will help prevent tragedies like Sammy’s from happening,” Britt said.
The bill is named for Sammy Chapman, a 16-year-old who died from fentanyl poisoning after a drug dealer contacted him through social media and delivered pills containing a lethal dose of the opioid to his home.
Sammy’s father, Sam Chapman, joined the senators for the discussion and has become a leading advocate for giving parents more tools to protect children online.
“If Sammy’s Law had been in place when Sammy was alive, he’d still be here today,” Chapman said. “So, for the ones who were left behind, what you all are doing can be lifesaving.”
Britt said hearing directly from Chapman reinforced the need for Congress to act.
“It was a privilege joining Senators Husted and Warner to discuss the need to pass Sammy’s Law,” she said. “Hearing directly from Sammy’s father, Sam Chapman, further underscored the critical work Congress has ahead of us to better protect our children online.”
Supporters say the bill would help parents detect threats involving illegal drugs, cyberbullying, eating disorders and other potentially harmful activity without requiring social media companies to provide parents with unrestricted access to a child’s private messages.
Husted and Warner said the proposal reflects a bipartisan effort to give families greater control over how children use social media and respond to dangers that increasingly originate online.
U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) are leading companion legislation in the House.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
