S 3411 — Establishes Social Media Research Center at four-year public institution of higher education.

S3411 SCS SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE, No.

3411 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 222nd LEGISLATURE   INTRODUCEDADOPTED FEBRUARYJUNE 9,28, 2026     Sponsored by:

Senators BeachBeach, Moriarty and MoriartyTurner         SYNOPSIS      Establishes Social Media Research Center at four-year public institution of higher education.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      AsSubstitute introduced.as adopted by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

    An Act establishing a Social Media Research Center and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

            1.   1.  Thea.  LegislatureThere findsis andestablished declaresa that:Social Media Research Center, hereinafter referred to as the center, at a four-year public institution of higher education, subject to appropriation.

    The a. purpose Theof Unitedthe Statescenter Surgeonshall Generalbe releasedto ancarry advisoryout oncollaborative socialand mediainterdisciplinary research to create and youthsupport mentalthe healthuse of impartial and actionable science to advance efforts in Mayunderstanding 2023,social whichmedia findsuse, that:mitigating the negative impacts of social media, and promoting healthy and responsible social media use.

          (1)b.  socialThe mediaSecretary useof byHigher youngEducation, peoplein iscoordination nearlywith universal,the withOffice upof toYouth 95Online percentMental ofHealth AmericanSafety minorsand betweenAwareness in the agesDepartment 13of andHealth, 17shall yearsselect olda reportingfour-year thepublic useinstitution of higher education to host the center based upon, at a socialminimum, mediainstitutional platform;capacity, interest, and existing expertise.

    The (2)host childhoodinstitution andshall adolescenceprovide representthe criticaladministrative stagessupport innecessary brainto developmentfacilitate thatthe cancenter’s makefunctioning, youngincluding peopleoversight moreby vulnerablethe toinstitution’s harmsexisting fromresearch socialreview media;procedures.

          (3)c.  usageThe ofcenter’s socialresearch, mediaanalysis, can become harmful depending on the amount of time children spend on platforms, the type of content they consume or to which they are otherwise exposed, and theoutreach degree to which it disrupts activities thatshall areinclude, essentialbut fornot health,be suchlimited asto: sleep and physical activity;

          (4)(1)  recentstudying researchthe showsimpacts thatof adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media faceconsumption doubleon the riskresidents of experiencingthe poorState mentaland healthmitigating outcomes,any suchnegative asimpacts symptoms of depressionsuch andconsumption; anxiety;

          (5)(2)  socialmaking mediapolicy mayrecommendations alsoto perpetuatethe bodyLegislature, dissatisfaction,Governor, disorderedand eatingkey behaviors,stakeholders socialto comparison,address the mental, physical, and lowbehavioral self-esteem,health especiallychallenges amongposed adolescentby girls;social media use, particularly for children and adolescents;

and          (3)  (6)establishing extreme,online inappropriate,courses and harmfultraining contentmodules continuesconcerning tosafe besocial easilymedia anduse, widelywhich accessibleshall tobe childrenmade andavailable adolescents,at andno incharge certain cases, childhood deaths have been linked to contentschools relatedin tothe suicideState; and self-harm and risk-taking challenges on social media platforms.

    and b.       Further(4)  researchconducting isresearch, criticaland formaking gainingrecommendations, aon deepersuch understandingtopics ofas may be required by law related to the effectsimpact of addictive social media behaviors on children,children informingand evidence-basedminors approachesand for mitigating the harmfulextent effectsto ofwhich socialwarning media,labels and establishingother Newdisclaimers Jerseyreduce asaddictive a leader in social media policy.behaviors.

          c. d.  ForState thesedepartments reasons,and thereagencies isincluding, abut neednot tolimited bringto, togetherthe healthDepartment experts,of publicHealth, interestthe technologyDepartment researchers,of parents,Human andServices, the privateDepartment sectorof toEducation, sharethe dataOffice of the Secretary of Higher Education, and expertisethe Department of Children and developFamilies recommendationsmay forsubmit promotingrelevant saferresearch onlinerequests experiences.and questions to the center.

           e.  2.   The a. center Theremay isadminister established a Socialgrant Mediaprogram Research Center, hereinafter referred to asadvance theits center,purpose. at a four-year public institution of higher education.

TheAny purposeState-appropriated ofresearch thefunds centermade shallavailable beunder tothe carrygrant outprogram collaborativeshall andbe interdisciplinaryawarded research,on analysis,the andbasis outreachof activitiesscientific tomerit helpas Newdetermined Jerseyby navigatean theopen, usagecompetitive ofpeer socialreview media,process particularlythat amongassures childrenobjectivity, consistency, and adolescents.high quality.

          b. f.  The Secretarycenter ofmay Highersolicit Educationand shallaccept selectany agrants, four-yeargifts, donations, or other additional funds from public institutionor ofprivate highersources, educationwhich tomay hostbe theavailable center.for research related to social media.

      c.       The2.  centerNotwithstanding shallany conductother researchlaw withor aregulation mission to createthe contrary, State departments and supportagencies including, but not limited to, the useDepartment of impartialHealth, andthe actionableDepartment scienceof toEducation, advanceand government,the public,Department private,of Children and nongovernmentalFamilies sectorshall, efforts to understandthe socialextent mediapracticable use,and mitigatefeasible, provide to the negativeSocial impactsMedia ofResearch socialCenter, media,upon andrequest, promotethe healthydata andnecessary responsiblefor socialthe mediacenter use.to conduct its research.

    All d. data Thetransmitted center’sto research,and analysis,received andby outreachthe activitiescenter shall include,be butprovided notin bea limitedmanner to:that protects individuals’ privacy and complies with applicable federal and State law.

    To (1)the establishingextent onlinethe coursescenter andotherwise trainingreceives modulesor concerningtransmits safedata, socialthe mediacenter use,shall whichreview courses and modulesapprove shallall berelevant availabledata touse publicagreements schoolsor business associate agreements in compliance with all applicable privacy and security standards, including but not limited to, the State;"Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-191 and 45 C.F.R.

    160.101 (2)to researching164.534, age-appropriateor screenany timesother andsimilar content;law.

      (3)      making3.   recommendationsOne toyear following the Legislature,establishment of the Social Media Research Center, and each year thereafter, the Social Media Research Center shall submit a report to the Governor, and keyto stakeholdersthe thatLegislature addresspursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), regarding the mental,work physical,of the center.  The report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the center’s current research projects, the amount and behavioralsources healthof challengesfunding posedutilized, byresearch requests and questions received from State departments and agencies, and the direction of the center’s future research.  If the center administers a grant program for social media use;research, the report shall also include information on the grants made, pending grants, and accomplishments of the program.

    The (4)report studyingshall thealso impactsbe ofmade socialpublicly mediaavailable. consumption on the residents of the State;

and       (5)4.    conductingThe publicSocial awarenessMedia campaignsResearch Center and any recipients of grants awarded by the center shall provide copies of their research publications that were supported by those grants to promotethe Governor, to the responsibleLegislature usepursuant to section 2 of socialP.L.1991, mediac.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and mediato literacy.any State departments or agencies that supplied data used in connection with that research, as soon as practicable following publication.

       e. 5.    AsThis aact supplement to its own research, the center may administer a grant program for research on social media.  Research funds under the grant program shall betake awardedeffect onimmediately. the basis of scientific merit as determined by an open, competitive peer review process that assures objectivity, consistency, and high quality.  The peer review process shall be modeled on the process used by the National Institutes of Health in its grant-making process.  All qualified investigators, regardless of institutional affiliation, shall have equal access and opportunity to compete for research funds under the grant program.

       3.    State departments and agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and the Department of Children and Families, shall provide to the center, upon request, the data necessary for the center to conduct its research.

       4.    One year following the establishment of the Social Media Research Center, and every five years thereafter, the four-year public institution of higher education hosting the center shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), regarding the work of the center.  The report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the center’s current research projects, the amount and sources of funding utilized, and the future direction of the center’s research.  If the center administers a grant program for social media research, the report shall also include information on the grants made, pending grants, and accomplishments of the program.

       5.    The center and any recipients of grants awarded by the center shall provide copies of their research publications to the Governor, to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and to any State departments or agencies that supplied data used in connection with that research, as soon as practicable following publication.

       6.  a.  The Legislature shall annually appropriate such amounts as are necessary to fund the research activities of the Social Media Research Center and the functioning of the center.       b.

The center may solicit and accept any grants, gifts, donations, or other additional funds from public or private sources, which may be available for research related to social media.

       7.    This act shall take effect immediately.

    STATEMENT        This bill establishes a Social Media Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher education for the purpose of carrying out collaborative and interdisciplinary research, analysis, and outreach activities to help New Jersey navigate the usage of social media, particularly among children and adolescents.

The Secretary of Higher Education is required to choose the four-year public institution of higher education at which the center will be hosted.

     The center will conduct research to understand social media use, mitigate the negative impacts of social media, and promote healthy and responsible social media use.

The center’s research, analysis, and outreach activities will include:

(1) establishing online courses and training modules concerning safe social media use, which would be made available to public schools in the State;

(2) researching age-appropriate screen times and content;

(3) making recommendations to the Legislature, Governor, and key stakeholders to address the mental, physical, and behavioral health challenges posed by social media use;

(4) studying the impacts of social media consumption on the residents of the State;