Committee updates language, approves bill increasing penalties for dissemination of sexual images of minors

The Judiciary Committee worked and approved House Bill 25‑18, a measure that increases criminal penalties for certain dissemination of sexual or intimate images and modifies culpable mental state language in the statute. The reviser reminded the committee that the bill tightens mental‑state language for the offense and raises penalties, including greater penalties when victims are under 18 or under 14 in specified circumstances.

Representative Barrett offered an amendment to modernize the statute’s language by replacing older terms like “photograph” and “film” with a technology‑neutral formulation — “image, video, or other recording” — and adding updated phrasing about devices and software used to record or view images. Members debated whether the amendment widened or narrowed coverage and whether it could create unintended draft issues; legal counsel and the reviser said the intent was to broaden the statute to cover modern recording media, not to narrow it.

The committee adopted the Barrett amendment and then voted to pass HB 25‑18 favorably for passage. Representative Carmichael recorded a no vote. Proponents argued the bill protects minors by updating evidence‑and‑proof requirements and strengthening penalties; proponents and the reviser said the language was intended to be technologically neutral.

What happens next: HB 25‑18 was passed out of committee favorably and will proceed to the next step in the legislative process.