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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 6, 2022 12:11 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judy Ward and Sen. Maria Collett |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Updating Pennsylvania's Statutes to Fight Exploitation of Children |
| We are introducing legislation based on a recommendation by the bipartisan Child Pornography Task Force. The Task Force reviewed the statutes and practices in other states, along with policies and procedures that help authorities recognize and prosecute child pornography. This legislation amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes and Act 197 of 2004 (the Child Internet Protection Act) by replacing the term “child pornography” with “child sexual abuse material.” This change was one of the recommendations made by the Child Pornography Task Force in its final report, which noted that the term “child pornography” is outdated. It minimizes the behavior exhibited by offenders who create or possess illegal images of children. Experts outside of the legal system use the term “child sexual abuse material,” as it more accurately reflects what is depicted in the images. This legislation will ensure that Pennsylvania’s statutes reflect the latest terminology, and adequately covers these activities. Please join us in cosponsoring this important legislation. If you have questions regarding this legislation, please reach out to Greg Beckenbaugh in at 717-787-5490 or gbeckenbaug@pasen.gov, or Tom Holroyd at 717-368-1429 or Tom.Holroyd@pasenate.com. |
Introduced as SB186