This bill introduces a new section to chapter 51-07 of the North Dakota Century Code, establishing liability for commercial entities that publish or distribute sexual material deemed harmful to minors. It defines key terms such as "commercial entity," "distribute," "minor," and "sexual material harmful to a minor," and outlines the requirements for reasonable age verification methods that must be employed by these entities. Specifically, if a commercial entity knowingly publishes or distributes such material without performing adequate age verification, it can be held liable for damages. The bill also allows parents or guardians of minors who accessed harmful material, as well as individuals whose identifying information is improperly retained, to bring civil actions against the offending entities.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that bona fide news or public interest broadcasts are exempt from these regulations, ensuring that news-gathering organizations are not affected. It also protects internet service providers and related entities from liability for merely providing access to content, as long as they do not control the creation of that content. The provisions of this Act will apply to websites accessed on or after its effective date.