'Sammy's Law': Fight for social media safety measures echoes in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The fight to increase safety measures on social media is gaining traction in Springfield.

At the heart of the discussion is "Sammy's Law," named after 16-year-old Sammy Chapman who tragically died in 2021 from drugs he purchased on Snapchat that were laced with fentanyl.

"Sammy's Law" proposes additional safety measures for children online, granting parents visibility into what's happening on their children's devices so they can intervene if anything dangerous is said via messages or posts.

Lawmakers voted 9-0, a unanimous vote, for the law to move out of committee once it’s amended. The sticking point is on privacy issues surrounding children.

The bill’s sponsor, State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, said the changes are minor and should be presented the first week of April before the Illinois House Consumer Protection Committee.

Once the changes are approved, the bill will move to the House floor and hopefully be taken up for a vote.

The law would mandate social media platforms to allow third-party software to access a child's account.

Speaking before the committee on Wednesday, Sammy's father expressed his grief and frustration, highlighting the urgent need for action: "I miss my son and we shouldn't have to be here doing this. We call ourselves accidental activists because we never meant to do this. Our kids should be here with us, and if Sammy's Law had been around when Sammy was alive, he would still be here with us. And that's the bottom line. The bottom line is that state by state and across the country, no legislation has done anything about this. And I believe Sammy was born here at Northwestern. I believe that Illinois can lead the way in child safety today," said Sam Chapman.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul was at the hearing and is voicing his support for Sammy's Law.