SECONDREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.2728
102NDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEPARKER.
5765H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapter537,RSMo,byaddingtheretoninenewsectionsrelatingtocivilremedies
forunauthorizeddisclosureofintimateimages.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapter537,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretoninenewsections,to
2beknownassections537.1300,537.1302,537.1304,537.1306,537.1308,537.1310,
3537.1312,537.1314,and537.1316,toreadasfollows:
537.1300.Sections537.1300to537.1316shallbeknownandmaybecitedasthe
2"UniformCivilRemediesforUnauthorizedDisclosureofIntimateImagesAct".
537.1302.Asusedinsections537.1300to537.1316:
2 (1)"Consent"meansaffirmative,conscious,andvoluntaryauthorizationbyan
3individualwithlegalcapacitytogiveauthorization;
4 (2)"Depictedindividual"meansanindividualwhosebodyisshowninwholeor
5inpartinanintimateimage;
6 (3)"Disclosure"meanstransfer,publication,ordistributiontoanotherperson.
7"Disclose"hasacorrespondingmeaning;
8 (4)"Identifiable"meansrecognizablebyapersonotherthanthedepicted
9individual:
10 (a)Fromanintimateimageitself;or
11 (b)Fromanintimateimageandidentifyingcharacteristicdisplayedin
12connectionwiththeintimateimage;
13 (5)"Identifyingcharacteristic"meansinformationthatmaybeusedtoidentify
14adepictedindividual;
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 15 (6)"Individual"meansahumanbeing;
16 (7)"Intimateimage"meansaphotograph,film,videorecording,orother
17similarmediumthatshows:
18 (a)Theuncoveredgenitals,pubicarea,anus,orfemalepostpubescentnippleofa
19depictedindividual;or
20 (b)Adepictedindividualengaginginorbeingsubjectedtosexualconduct;
21 (8)"Person"meansanindividual,estate,businessornonprofitentity,public
22corporation,governmentorgovernmentalsubdivision,agency,orinstrumentality,or
23otherlegalentity;
24 (9)"Sexualconduct"includes:
25 (a)Masturbation;
26 (b)Genital,anal,ororalsex;
27 (c)Sexualpenetrationof,orwith,anobject;
28 (d)Bestiality;or
29 (e)Thetransferofsemenontoadepictedindividual.
537.1304.1.Inthissection:
2 (1)"Harm"includesphysicalharm,economicharm,andemotionaldistress
3whetherornotaccompaniedbyphysicaloreconomicharm;
4 (2)"Private"means:
5 (a)Createdorobtainedundercircumstancesinwhichadepictedindividualhad
6areasonableexpectationofprivacy;or
7 (b)Madeaccessiblethroughstealing,bribery,extortion,fraud,falsepretenses,
8orexceedingauthorizedaccesstoanaccount,message,file,device,resource,or
9property.
10 2.Exceptasotherwiseprovidedin537.1306,adepictedindividualwhois
11identifiableandwhosuffersharmfromaperson'sintentionaldisclosureorthreatened
12disclosureofanintimateimagethatwasprivatewithoutthedepictedindividual's
13consenthasacauseofactionagainstthepersonifthepersonkneworactedwith
14recklessdisregardforwhether:
15 (1)Thedepictedindividualdidnotconsenttothedisclosure;
16 (2)Theintimateimagewasprivate;and
17 (3)Thedepictedindividualwasidentifiable.
18 3.Thefollowingconductbyadepictedindividualdoesnotestablishbyitselfthat
19theindividualconsentedtothedisclosureoftheintimateimagethatisthesubjectofan
20actionundersections537.1300to537.1316orthattheindividuallackedareasonable
21expectationofprivacy:
22 (1)Consenttocreationoftheimage;or
HB2728 2 23 (2)Previousconsensualdisclosureoftheimage.
24 4.Adepictedindividualwhodoesnotconsenttothesexualconductor
25uncoveringofthepartofthebodydepictedinanintimateimageoftheindividual
26retainsareasonableexpectationofprivacyeveniftheimagewascreatedwhenthe
27individualwasinapublicplace.
537.1306.1.Inthissection:
2 (1)"Child"meansanunemancipatedindividualwhoisundereighteenyearsof
3age;
4 (2)"Parent"meansanindividualrecognizedasaparentunderlawofthisstate
5otherthaninsections537.1300to537.1316.
6 2.Apersonisnotliableundersections537.1300to537.1316ifthepersonproves
7thatdisclosureof,orathreattodisclose,anintimateimagewas:
8 (1)Madeingoodfaithin:
9 (a)Lawenforcement;
10 (b)Alegalproceeding;or
11 (c)Medicaleducationortreatment;
12 (2)Madeingoodfaithinthereportingorinvestigationof:
13 (a)Unlawfulconduct;or
14 (b)Unsolicitedandunwelcomeconduct;
15 (3)Relatedtoamatterofpublicconcernorpublicinterest;or
16 (4)Reasonablyintendedtoassistthedepictedindividual.
17 3.Subjecttosubsection4ofthissection,adefendantwhoisaparent,legal
18guardian,orindividualwithlegalcustodyofachildisnotliableundersections537.1300
19to537.1316foradisclosureorthreateneddisclosureofanintimateimageofthechild.
20 4.Ifadefendantassertsanexceptiontoliabilityundersubsection3ofthis
21section,theexceptiondoesnotapplyiftheplaintiffprovesthedisclosurewas:
22 (1)Prohibitedbylawotherthaninsections537.1300to537.1316;or
23 (2)Madeforthepurposeofsexualarousal,sexualgratification,humiliation,
24degradation,ormonetaryorcommercialgain.
25 5.Disclosureof,orathreattodisclose,anintimateimageisnotamatterof
26publicconcernorpublicinterestsolelybecausethedepictedindividualisapublic
27figure.
537.1308.Inanactionundersections537.1300to537.1316:
2 (1)Aplaintiffmayproceedusingapseudonyminplaceofthetruenameofthe
3plaintiff;
4 (2)Thecourtmayexcludeorredactfromallpleadingsanddocumentsfiledin
5theactionotheridentifyingcharacteristicsoftheplaintiff;
HB2728 3 6 (3)Aplaintifftowhomsubdivision(1)or(2)ofthissectionappliesshallfilewith
7thecourtandserveonthedefendantaconfidentialinformationformthatincludesthe
8excludedorredactedplaintiff'snameandotheridentifyingcharacteristics;and
9 (4)Thecourtmaymakefurtherordersasnecessarytoprotecttheidentityand
10privacyofaplaintiff.
537.1310.1.Inanactionundersections537.1300to537.1316,aprevailing
2plaintiffmayrecover:
3 (1)Thegreaterof:
4 (a)Economicandnoneconomicdamagesproximatelycausedbythedefendant's
5disclosureorthreateneddisclosure,includingdamagesforemotionaldistresswhether
6ornotaccompaniedbyotherdamages;or
7 (b)Statutorydamagesnottoexceedtenthousanddollarsagainsteachdefendant
8foundliableundersections537.1300to537.1316foralldisclosuresandthreatened
9disclosuresbythedefendantofwhichtheplaintiffkneworreasonablyshouldhave
10knownwhenfilingtheactionorwhichbecameknownduringthependencyofthe
11action.Indeterminingtheamountofstatutorydamagesunderthisparagraph,
12considerationmustbegiventotheageofthepartiesatthetimeofthedisclosureor
13threateneddisclosure,thenumberofdisclosuresorthreateneddisclosuresmadebythe
14defendant,thebreadthofdistributionoftheimagebythedefendant,andother
15exacerbatingormitigatingfactors;
16 (2)Anamountequaltoanymonetarygainmadebythedefendantfrom
17disclosureoftheintimateimage;and
18 (3)Punitivedamagesasallowedunderlawofthisstateotherthanundersections
19537.1300to537.1316.
20 2.Inanactionundersections537.1300to537.1316,thecourtmayawarda
21prevailingplaintiff:
22 (1)Reasonableattorney'sfeesandcosts;and
23 (2)Additionalrelief,includinginjunctiverelief.
24 3.Sections537.1300to537.1316donotaffectarightorremedyavailableunder
25lawofthisstateotherthanundersections537.1300to537.1316.
537.1312.1.Anactionundersubsection2ofsection537.1304for:
2 (1)Anunauthorizeddisclosuremaynotbebroughtlaterthanfouryearsfrom
3thedatethedisclosurewasdiscoveredorshouldhavebeendiscoveredwiththeexercise
4ofreasonablediligence;and
5 (2)Athreattodisclosemaynotbebroughtlaterthanfouryearsfromthedateof
6thethreattodisclose.
HB2728 4 7 2.Exceptasotherwiseprovidedinsubsection3ofthissection,thissectionis
8subjecttothetollingstatutesofthisstate.
9 3.Inanactionundersubsection2ofsection537.1304byadepictedindividual
10whowasaminoronthedateofthedisclosureorthreattodisclose,thetimespecifiedin
11subsection1ofthissectiondoesnotbegintorununtilthedepictedindividualattainsthe
12ageofmajority.
537.1314.Sections537.1300to537.1316mustbeconstruedtobeconsistentwith
2theCommunicationsDecencyActof1996,47U.S.C.Section230.
537.1316.Inapplyingandconstruingsections537.1300to537.1316,
2considerationmustbegiventotheneedtopromoteuniformityofthelawwith
3respecttoitssubjectmatteramongstatesthatenactit.
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