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Committee adopts bill to update Arkansas code language to 'child sexual abuse material'

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - SENATE · January 25, 2023
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Summary

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved House Bill 1028, sponsored in the House by Rep. Fite, to replace older terminology in state law with the term 'child sexual abuse material' (CSAM); sponsor said states and national groups favor the change and the bill passed the House unanimously.

Representative Fite presented House Bill 1028 and told the Judiciary Committee the measure would change Arkansas statutory language to match terms used by national groups, replacing an older term with "child sexual abuse material," or CSAM. "Child sexual abuse materials or CSAM is the term used by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children," Fite said, adding that prosecutors prefer the term because it emphasizes the underlying crime against a minor.

Fite said the bill was placed in interim study earlier, had passed a joint judiciary committee in the interim, and there was no known opposition. She told the committee that the bill had passed the House unanimously. A committee member endorsed the bill and the committee approved it by voice vote.

Representative Fite thanked the committee after the vote; the committee did not record individual roll-call votes on the transcript.