| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1218 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To provide that it is unlawful to knowingly distribute private intimate visual |
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| 6 | 6 | | depictions with reckless disregard for the individual’s lack of consent |
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| 7 | 7 | | to the distribution, and for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 9 | 9 | | FEBRUARY11, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Mr. V |
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| 11 | 11 | | ANDREW(for himself, Ms. DEANof Pennsylvania, Ms. MACE, Mr. |
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| 12 | 12 | | F |
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| 13 | 13 | | ITZPATRICK, Mr. MORAN, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. NEHLS, Mr. KILEYof |
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| 14 | 14 | | California, Ms. P |
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| 15 | 15 | | LASKETT, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. JOHNSONof Georgia, and |
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| 16 | 16 | | Ms. S |
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| 17 | 17 | | CANLON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the |
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| 18 | 18 | | Committee on the Judiciary |
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| 19 | 19 | | A BILL |
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| 20 | 20 | | To provide that it is unlawful to knowingly distribute private |
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| 21 | 21 | | intimate visual depictions with reckless disregard for the |
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| 22 | 22 | | individual’s lack of consent to the distribution, and for |
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| 23 | 23 | | other purposes. |
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| 24 | 24 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 25 | 25 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stopping Harmful 4 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act of 5 |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2025’’ or the ‘‘SHIELD Act of 2025’’. 6 |
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| 31 | 31 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 33 | 33 | | SEC. 2. CERTAIN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO INTIMATE VIS-1 |
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| 34 | 34 | | UAL DEPICTIONS. 2 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (a) I |
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| 36 | 36 | | NGENERAL.—Chapter 88 of title 18, United 3 |
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| 37 | 37 | | States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-4 |
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| 38 | 38 | | lowing: 5 |
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| 39 | 39 | | ‘‘§ 1802. Certain activities relating to intimate visual 6 |
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| 40 | 40 | | depictions 7 |
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| 41 | 41 | | ‘‘(a) D |
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| 42 | 42 | | EFINITIONS.—In this section: 8 |
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| 43 | 43 | | ‘‘(1) C |
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| 44 | 44 | | OMMUNICATIONS SERVICE .—The term 9 |
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| 45 | 45 | | ‘communications service’ means— 10 |
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| 46 | 46 | | ‘‘(A) a service provided by a person that is 11 |
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| 47 | 47 | | a common carrier, as that term is defined in 12 |
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| 48 | 48 | | section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 13 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (47 U.S.C. 153), insofar as the person is acting 14 |
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| 50 | 50 | | as a common carrier; 15 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ‘‘(B) an electronic communication service, 16 |
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| 52 | 52 | | as that term is defined in section 2510; 17 |
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| 53 | 53 | | ‘‘(C) an information service, as that term 18 |
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| 54 | 54 | | is defined in section 3 of the Communications 19 |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153); and 20 |
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| 56 | 56 | | ‘‘(D) an interactive computer service, as 21 |
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| 57 | 57 | | that term is defined in section 230(f) of the 22 |
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| 58 | 58 | | Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 23 |
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| 59 | 59 | | 230(f)). 24 |
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| 60 | 60 | | ‘‘(2) I |
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| 61 | 61 | | NFORMATION CONTENT PROVIDER .—The 25 |
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| 62 | 62 | | term ‘information content provider’ has the meaning 26 |
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| 64 | 64 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 |
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| 65 | 65 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 66 | 66 | | given that term in section 230(f) of the Communica-1 |
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| 67 | 67 | | tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f)). 2 |
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| 68 | 68 | | ‘‘(3) I |
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| 69 | 69 | | NTIMATE VISUAL DEPICTION .—The term 3 |
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| 70 | 70 | | ‘intimate visual depiction’ means any visual depic-4 |
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| 71 | 71 | | tion (as that term is defined in section 2256(5)) of 5 |
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| 72 | 72 | | an individual— 6 |
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| 73 | 73 | | ‘‘(A) who has attained 18 years of age at 7 |
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| 74 | 74 | | the time the intimate visual depiction is cre-8 |
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| 75 | 75 | | ated; 9 |
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| 76 | 76 | | ‘‘(B) who is recognizable to a third party 10 |
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| 77 | 77 | | from the intimate image itself or information or 11 |
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| 78 | 78 | | text displayed in connection with the intimate 12 |
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| 79 | 79 | | image itself or information or text displayed in 13 |
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| 80 | 80 | | connection with the intimate image; and 14 |
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| 81 | 81 | | ‘‘(C)(i) who is depicted engaging in sexu-15 |
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| 82 | 82 | | ally explicit conduct; or 16 |
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| 83 | 83 | | ‘‘(ii) whose genitals, anus, pubic area, or 17 |
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| 84 | 84 | | female nipple are unclothed and visible. 18 |
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| 85 | 85 | | ‘‘(4) M |
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| 86 | 86 | | INOR.—The term ‘minor’ has the mean-19 |
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| 87 | 87 | | ing given that term in section 2256. 20 |
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| 88 | 88 | | ‘‘(5) S |
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| 89 | 89 | | EXUALLY EXPLICIT CONDUCT .—The term 21 |
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| 90 | 90 | | ‘sexually explicit conduct’ has the meaning given 22 |
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| 91 | 91 | | that term in section 2256(2)(A). 23 |
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| 92 | 92 | | ‘‘(6) V |
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| 93 | 93 | | ISUAL DEPICTION OF A NUDE MINOR .— 24 |
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| 94 | 94 | | The term ‘visual depiction of a nude minor’ means 25 |
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| 96 | 96 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 |
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| 97 | 97 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 98 | 98 | | any visual depiction (as that term is defined in sec-1 |
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| 99 | 99 | | tion 2256(5)) of an individual who is recognizable by 2 |
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| 100 | 100 | | an individual other than the depicted individual from 3 |
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| 101 | 101 | | the intimate image itself or information or text dis-4 |
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| 102 | 102 | | played in connection with the intimate image who 5 |
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| 103 | 103 | | was under 18 years of age at the time the visual de-6 |
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| 104 | 104 | | piction was created in which the actual anus, geni-7 |
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| 105 | 105 | | tals, or pubic area, or post-pubescent female nipple, 8 |
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| 106 | 106 | | of the minor are unclothed, visible, and displayed in 9 |
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| 107 | 107 | | a manner that does not constitute sexually explicit 10 |
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| 108 | 108 | | conduct. 11 |
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| 109 | 109 | | ‘‘(b) O |
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| 110 | 110 | | FFENSES.— 12 |
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| 111 | 111 | | ‘‘(1) I |
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| 112 | 112 | | N GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub-13 |
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| 113 | 113 | | section (d), it shall be unlawful to knowingly mail, 14 |
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| 114 | 114 | | or to knowingly distribute using any means or facil-15 |
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| 115 | 115 | | ity of interstate or foreign commerce or affecting 16 |
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| 116 | 116 | | interstate or foreign commerce, an intimate visual 17 |
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| 117 | 117 | | depiction of an individual— 18 |
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| 118 | 118 | | ‘‘(A) that was obtained or created under 19 |
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| 119 | 119 | | circumstances in which the actor knew or rea-20 |
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| 120 | 120 | | sonably should have known the individual de-21 |
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| 121 | 121 | | picted had a reasonable expectation of privacy; 22 |
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| 122 | 122 | | ‘‘(B) where what is depicted was not volun-23 |
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| 123 | 123 | | tarily exposed by the individual in a public or 24 |
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| 124 | 124 | | commercial setting; 25 |
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| 126 | 126 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 |
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| 127 | 127 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 128 | 128 | | ‘‘(C) where what is depicted is not a mat-1 |
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| 129 | 129 | | ter of public concern; and 2 |
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| 130 | 130 | | ‘‘(D) if the distribution— 3 |
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| 131 | 131 | | ‘‘(i) is intended to cause harm; or 4 |
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| 132 | 132 | | ‘‘(ii) causes harm, including psycho-5 |
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| 133 | 133 | | logical, financial, or reputational harm, to 6 |
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| 134 | 134 | | the individual depicted. 7 |
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| 135 | 135 | | For purposes of this paragraph, the fact that the 8 |
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| 136 | 136 | | subject of the depiction consented to the creation of 9 |
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| 137 | 137 | | the depiction shall not establish that that person 10 |
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| 138 | 138 | | consented to its distribution. 11 |
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| 139 | 139 | | ‘‘(2) I |
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| 140 | 140 | | NVOLVING MINORS.—Except as provided 12 |
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| 141 | 141 | | in subsection (d), it shall be unlawful to knowingly 13 |
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| 142 | 142 | | mail, or to knowingly distribute using any means or 14 |
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| 143 | 143 | | facility of interstate or foreign commerce or affect-15 |
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| 144 | 144 | | ing interstate or foreign commerce, a visual depic-16 |
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| 145 | 145 | | tion of a nude minor with intent to abuse, humiliate, 17 |
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| 146 | 146 | | harass, or degrade the minor, or to arouse or gratify 18 |
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| 147 | 147 | | the sexual desire of any person. 19 |
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| 148 | 148 | | ‘‘(c) P |
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| 149 | 149 | | ENALTY.— 20 |
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| 150 | 150 | | ‘‘(1) I |
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| 151 | 151 | | N GENERAL.— 21 |
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| 152 | 152 | | ‘‘(A) V |
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| 153 | 153 | | ISUAL DEPICTION OF A NUDE 22 |
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| 154 | 154 | | MINOR.—Any person who violates subsection 23 |
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| 155 | 155 | | (b)(2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 24 |
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| 156 | 156 | | not more than 3 years, or both. 25 |
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| 158 | 158 | | kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 6 |
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| 159 | 159 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 160 | 160 | | ‘‘(B) INTIMATE VISUAL DEPICTION .—Any 1 |
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| 161 | 161 | | person who violates subsection (b)(1) shall be 2 |
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| 162 | 162 | | fined under this title, imprisoned for not more 3 |
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| 163 | 163 | | than 2 years, or both. 4 |
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| 164 | 164 | | ‘‘(2) F |
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| 165 | 165 | | ORFEITURE.— 5 |
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| 166 | 166 | | ‘‘(A) I |
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| 167 | 167 | | N GENERAL.—The court, in impos-6 |
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| 168 | 168 | | ing a sentence on any person convicted of a vio-7 |
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| 169 | 169 | | lation involving intimate visual depictions or 8 |
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| 170 | 170 | | visual depictions of a nude minor under this 9 |
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| 171 | 171 | | section, or convicted of a conspiracy of a viola-10 |
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| 172 | 172 | | tion involving intimate visual depictions or vis-11 |
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| 173 | 173 | | ual depictions of a nude minor under this sec-12 |
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| 174 | 174 | | tion, shall order, in addition to any other sen-13 |
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| 175 | 175 | | tence imposed and irrespective of any provision 14 |
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| 176 | 176 | | of State law, that such person forfeit to the 15 |
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| 177 | 177 | | United States— 16 |
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| 178 | 178 | | ‘‘(i) any material distributed in viola-17 |
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| 179 | 179 | | tion of this section; 18 |
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| 180 | 180 | | ‘‘(ii) such person’s interest in prop-19 |
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| 181 | 181 | | erty, real or personal, constituting or de-20 |
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| 182 | 182 | | rived from any gross proceeds of such vio-21 |
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| 183 | 183 | | lation, or any property traceable to such 22 |
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| 184 | 184 | | property, obtained or retained directly or 23 |
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| 185 | 185 | | indirectly as a result of such violation; and 24 |
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| 188 | 188 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 189 | 189 | | ‘‘(iii) any personal property of the 1 |
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| 190 | 190 | | person used, or intended to be used, in any 2 |
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| 191 | 191 | | manner or part, to commit or to facilitate 3 |
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| 192 | 192 | | the commission of such violation. 4 |
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| 193 | 193 | | ‘‘(B) P |
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| 194 | 194 | | ROCEDURES.—Section 413 of the 5 |
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| 195 | 195 | | Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 853), 6 |
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| 196 | 196 | | with the exception of subsections (a) and (d), 7 |
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| 197 | 197 | | applies to the criminal forfeiture of property 8 |
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| 198 | 198 | | pursuant to subparagraph (A). 9 |
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| 199 | 199 | | ‘‘(3) R |
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| 200 | 200 | | ESTITUTION.—Restitution shall be avail-10 |
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| 201 | 201 | | able as provided in section 2264 of this title. 11 |
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| 202 | 202 | | ‘‘(d) E |
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| 203 | 203 | | XCEPTIONS.— 12 |
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| 204 | 204 | | ‘‘(1) L |
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| 205 | 205 | | AW ENFORCEMENT , LAWFUL REPORTING , 13 |
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| 206 | 206 | | AND OTHER LEGAL PROCEEDINGS .—This section— 14 |
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| 207 | 207 | | ‘‘(A) does not prohibit any lawfully author-15 |
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| 208 | 208 | | ized investigative, protective, or intelligence ac-16 |
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| 209 | 209 | | tivity of a law enforcement agency of the 17 |
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| 210 | 210 | | United States, a State, or a political subdivision 18 |
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| 211 | 211 | | of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the 19 |
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| 212 | 212 | | United States; and 20 |
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| 213 | 213 | | ‘‘(B) shall not apply to distributions that 21 |
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| 214 | 214 | | are made reasonably and in good faith— 22 |
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| 215 | 215 | | ‘‘(i) to report unlawful or unsolicited 23 |
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| 216 | 216 | | activity or in pursuance of a legal or pro-24 |
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| 217 | 217 | | fessional or other lawful obligation; 25 |
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| 220 | 220 | | •HR 1218 IH |
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| 221 | 221 | | ‘‘(ii) to seek support or help with re-1 |
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| 222 | 222 | | spect to the receipt of an unsolicited inti-2 |
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| 223 | 223 | | mate visual depiction; 3 |
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| 224 | 224 | | ‘‘(iii) relating to an individual who 4 |
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| 225 | 225 | | possesses or distributes a visual depiction 5 |
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| 226 | 226 | | of himself or herself engaged in nudity or 6 |
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| 227 | 227 | | sexually explicit conduct; 7 |
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| 228 | 228 | | ‘‘(iv) to assist the depicted individual; 8 |
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| 229 | 229 | | ‘‘(v) for legitimate medical, scientific, 9 |
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| 230 | 230 | | or educational purposes; or 10 |
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| 231 | 231 | | ‘‘(vi) as part of a document produc-11 |
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| 232 | 232 | | tion or filing associated with a legal pro-12 |
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| 233 | 233 | | ceeding. 13 |
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| 234 | 234 | | ‘‘(2) S |
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| 235 | 235 | | ERVICE PROVIDERS.—This section shall 14 |
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| 236 | 236 | | not apply to any provider of a communications serv-15 |
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| 237 | 237 | | ice with regard to content provided by another infor-16 |
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| 238 | 238 | | mation content provider unless the provider of the 17 |
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| 239 | 239 | | communications service intentionally solicits, or 18 |
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| 240 | 240 | | knowingly and predominantly distributes, such con-19 |
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| 241 | 241 | | tent. 20 |
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| 242 | 242 | | ‘‘(e) T |
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| 243 | 243 | | HREATS.—Any person who intentionally 21 |
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| 244 | 244 | | threatens to commit an offense under subsection (b) for 22 |
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| 245 | 245 | | the purpose of intimidation, coercion, extortion, or to cre-23 |
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| 246 | 246 | | ate mental distress shall be punished as provided in sub-24 |
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| 247 | 247 | | section (c). 25 |
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| 251 | 251 | | ‘‘(f) E XTRATERRITORIALITY.—There is 1 |
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| 252 | 252 | | extraterritorial Federal jurisdiction over an offense under 2 |
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| 253 | 253 | | this section if the defendant or the depicted individual is 3 |
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| 254 | 254 | | a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. 4 |
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| 255 | 255 | | ‘‘(g) R |
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| 256 | 256 | | ULE OFCONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-5 |
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| 257 | 257 | | tion shall be construed to limit the application of any other 6 |
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| 258 | 258 | | relevant law, including section 2252 of this title.’’. 7 |
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| 259 | 259 | | (b) C |
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| 260 | 260 | | LERICALAMENDMENT.—The table of sections 8 |
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| 261 | 261 | | for chapter 88 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 9 |
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| 262 | 262 | | by inserting after the item relating to section 1801 the 10 |
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| 263 | 263 | | following: 11 |
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| 264 | 264 | | ‘‘1802. Certain activities relating to intimate visual depictions.’’. |
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| 265 | 265 | | (c) CONFORMINGAMENDMENT.—Section 2264(a) of 12 |
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| 266 | 266 | | title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘, 13 |
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| 267 | 267 | | or under section 1802 of this title’’ before the period. 14 |
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| 268 | 268 | | Æ |
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