ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On Monday, attorneys general from 31 states and the District of Columbia sent a letter to Congress urging them to pass the Kids Online Safety Act.

That list of leaders includes New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.

“What this law would do was impose a duty of care to make sure that they mitigate against those harms. It would make sure that parents have greater control over what’s happening,” said Torrez. 

Torrez also explained it would set stricter safety standards and limit data shared with third parties. But now, the clock is ticking for the bill to become law.

“We have to have it pass the House, otherwise we have to go back to the drawing board with a new Congress. There’s an opportunity for this Congress to take action now,” Torrez said. 

The bill already passed the Senate over the summer in an almost unheard of 91-3 vote.

“It’s very rare to have that kind of broad bipartisan support,” said Torrez. 

The first version of the Kids Online Safety Act came in 2022, but there haven’t been any laws like it since 1998.

“It’s been 26 years since Congress last passed meaningful legislation to try and protect kids online,” Torrez said. 

Torrez argues it’s taken awhile to get online safety on the books because of social media company influence.

“Some of the largest social media companies have spent something like $90 million in the last three years, lobbying members of Congress to not impose stricter safety standards,” Torrez said. 

Even if the House doesn’t vote on the bill, Torrez says he’ll keep fighting.

“We are fed up with inaction at the congressional level, and no matter what happens, I’m not going to give up on this fight. But we do need help, and we are asking them and pleading with them to do the right thing,” said Torrez. 

Torrez and other attorneys general filed lawsuits against Meta and Snapchat. He told KOB 4 those will go forward regardless of the outcome for the Kids Online Safety Act.

But Torrez believes, at the minimum, the legislation should be put up for a vote.