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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H6C712711B304474D9D7FE2F1FDD9C2F1" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>118 HR 10329 IH: Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act of 2025</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2024-12-06</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">118th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">2d Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 10329</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20241206">December 6, 2024</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="V000133">Mr. Van Drew</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="D000631">Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="M000194">Ms. Mace</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="P000610">Ms. Plaskett</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="F000466">Mr. Fitzpatrick</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="J000288">Mr. Johnson of Georgia</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HJU00">Committee on the Judiciary</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To provide that it is unlawful to knowingly distribute private intimate visual depictions with reckless disregard for the individual’s lack of consent to the distribution, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body id="H1FF9B4570E4D404B8413E66BA6B26774" style="OLC"><section section-type="section-one" id="HB273A71824084C1BAA1A086C842C5844" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>1.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act of 2025</short-title></quote> or the <quote><short-title>SHIELD Act of 2024</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section" id="H9EB145A0850A4E23BA998FCDCBCF4DBB"><enum>2.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Certain activities relating to intimate visual depictions</header><subsection id="H0CBBD31B86A541C2BC52AA322F8CF9D7" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline"><external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/18/88">Chapter 88</external-xref> of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="USC" id="HD6DC5B2F19024BF18677711B84D53BF8" display-inline="no-display-inline"><section id="H1889347C639F45D792F2E6B006F7D9DD" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>1802.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Certain activities relating to intimate visual depictions</header><subsection id="H909A88BB80564CFBB84739EE78235E7A" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Definitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section:</text><paragraph id="HCD97286D77BD4654928B404D36EB4507" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Communications service</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>communications service</quote> means—</text><subparagraph id="HA55555526372456D81AC0C68E254AA8A" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a service provided by a person that is a common carrier, as that term is defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/153">47 U.S.C. 153</external-xref>), insofar as the person is acting as a common carrier;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H7590134A043C430F9ED3FF5B110B7DD6" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an electronic communication service, as that term is defined in section 2510;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4CE6888C243848FBA1D23848A218F0EC" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an information service, as that term is defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/153">47 U.S.C. 153</external-xref>); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2314703B90934990B5D97039B61EC8B7" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an interactive computer service, as that term is defined in section 230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/230">47 U.S.C. 230(f)</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HA4D3A0717BAE4A2AA16169507F8516D6" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Information content provider</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>information content provider</quote> has the meaning given that term in section 230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/230">47 U.S.C. 230(f)</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H25F4072D20F84D5BB5A4CCA83732E066" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Intimate visual depiction</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>intimate visual depiction</quote> means any visual depiction (as that term is defined in section 2256(5)) of an individual—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB3691B999EF04A30A1EEB2938C554B82"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">who has attained 18 years of age at the time the intimate visual depiction is created;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H39A3CD3AF7B64C27A406F3D2C5F0F54B"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">who is recognizable to a third party from the intimate image itself or information or text displayed in connection with the intimate image itself or information or text displayed in connection with the intimate image; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H21BE0B5675484B11B64705F73A7B3D30"><enum>(C)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H54E2EB6006634BD79E5C167A0697E1D8"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">who is depicted engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or</text></clause><clause id="H266A37C52B4B47FBBE7C68C66F234782" indent="up1" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">whose genitals, anus, pubic area, or female nipple are unclothed and visible.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H41F81B2F029444239F63DD3A1E5765DC" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(4)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Minor</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>minor</term> has the meaning given that term in section 2256. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="H608C0019388D470EB6C81D9F83A938AB" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(5)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Sexually explicit conduct</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>sexually explicit conduct</quote> has the meaning given that term in section 2256(2)(A). </text></paragraph><paragraph id="HB365FB7595CB47EEA99F6ED43C2F7013" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(6)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Visual depiction of a nude minor</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>visual depiction of a nude minor</quote> means any visual depiction (as that term is defined in section 2256(5)) of an individual who is recognizable by an individual other than the depicted individual from the intimate image itself or information or text displayed in connection with the intimate image who was under 18 years of age at the time the visual depiction was created in which the actual anus, genitals, or pubic area, or post-pubescent female nipple, of the minor are unclothed, visible, and displayed in a manner that does not constitute sexually explicit conduct.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H7A888399822B41FFBBAEB2DBFE12F9CC" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Offenses</header><paragraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H25B3221687764E4AB35144F259536447" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as provided in subsection (d), it shall be unlawful to knowingly mail, or to knowingly distribute using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, an intimate visual depiction of an individual—</text><subparagraph id="H17DE8FA9270947408C8482D75770EADA" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">that was obtained or created under circumstances in which the actor knew or reasonably should have known the individual depicted had a reasonable expectation of privacy;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4FA86DD869C44CBE8364948A43A259EB" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">where what is depicted was not voluntarily exposed by the individual in a public or commercial setting;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDB0330F6A7A9438B84D9F6F914441E57" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">where what is depicted is not a matter of public concern; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H88E24B0ECCAA43FFB797636AAF3A0570"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">if the distribution—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1A58DDCF08C34119B3CB9F52BB9D8C1E"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is intended to cause harm; or</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H51DA88AAAAD2425D99361A7B877C96B8"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">causes harm, including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, to the individual depicted.</text></clause></subparagraph><continuation-text continuation-text-level="paragraph" commented="no">For purposes of this paragraph, the fact that the subject of the depiction consented to the creation of the depiction shall not establish that that person consented to its distribution. </continuation-text></paragraph><paragraph id="H2566C34B5A714BA5977AA6AEFBD8C627" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Involving minors</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as provided in subsection (d), it shall be unlawful to knowingly mail, or to knowingly distribute using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a visual depiction of a nude minor with intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, or degrade the minor, or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H23EF074AF7B4481EB919ACC609BEA6D0" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Penalty</header><paragraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H538F4359A8D044178D26BA9F3FC09FCA" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><subparagraph display-inline="no-display-inline" commented="no" id="H38586F47104F44148FF2325171CF69FA"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Visual depiction of a nude minor</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any person who violates subsection (b)(2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6509B446D88E4CA485F329F9BBC09B96"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Intimate visual depiction</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any person who violates subsection (b)(1) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HD75D801E4723426A8CE0D481530BA0E2" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Forfeiture</header><subparagraph id="H4B8DD5355E714851B439D1A37CDAAF1E" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The court, in imposing a sentence on any person convicted of a violation involving intimate visual depictions or visual depictions of a nude minor under this section, or convicted of a conspiracy of a violation involving intimate visual depictions or visual depictions of a nude minor under this section, shall order, in addition to any other sentence imposed and irrespective of any provision of State law, that such person forfeit to the United States—</text><clause id="H5A310578802D4ECCB77C2066D92A9D7D" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">any material distributed in violation of this section;</text></clause><clause id="HA6EBD26C6C244C1E99524A4D56294180" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such person’s interest in property, real or personal, constituting or derived from any gross proceeds of such violation, or any property traceable to such property, obtained or retained directly or indirectly as a result of such violation; and</text></clause><clause id="H893ABA904F5B4385A80AE36F56C33C78" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">any personal property of the person used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit or to facilitate the commission of such violation.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H918CB701BB25415F8C5DFA3257C6B862" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Procedures</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 413 of the Controlled Substances Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/21/853">21 U.S.C. 853</external-xref>), with the exception of subsections (a) and (d), applies to the criminal forfeiture of property pursuant to subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HF7123B4965D0434FA88AC68B440DE6E9" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Restitution</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Restitution shall be available as provided in section 2264 of this title.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H252780D6DE794BBF9E0BDF26F879987D" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Exceptions</header><paragraph id="H330C31B6085C4D3DA1F1868871409037" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Law enforcement, lawful reporting, and other legal proceedings</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This section—</text><subparagraph id="HADBF5BAF911F4797B47ED9F398F6C66F" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDCC386EF220D49C89D9AFB4CABBA4E03" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall not apply to distributions that are made reasonably and in good faith—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H752E1C3DDFBE4E50B48089A0D086AEBD"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to report unlawful or unsolicited activity or in pursuance of a legal or professional or other lawful obligation;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF51A599BA1DD49EC8B3BE45CB58EE362"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to seek support or help with respect to the receipt of an unsolicited intimate visual depiction;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HD4B3E3368D934A7BA490B911ECDB8241"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">relating to an individual who possesses or distributes a visual depiction of himself or herself engaged in nudity or sexually explicit conduct;</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H43143F420ECA40A59ED7F62861D842D8"><enum>(iv)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to assist the depicted individual; </text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HD2F04D656FCF4A2FB43E1A0BD35287D9"><enum>(v)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">for legitimate medical, scientific, or educational purposes; or</text></clause><clause id="H02534785FEEF4C79AE86FE187A578EAE" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(vi)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">as part of a document production or filing associated with a legal proceeding.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HACCF9DD8CA8D401D81555CF1D4C5ECFC" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Service providers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This section shall not apply to any provider of a communications service with regard to content provided by another information content provider unless the provider of the communications service intentionally solicits, or knowingly and predominantly distributes, such content.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H611E2245BE004FC6B53C4B4265A7CECC" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Threats</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any person who intentionally threatens to commit an offense under subsection (b) for the purpose of intimidation, coercion, extortion, or to create mental distress shall be punished as provided in subsection (c).</text></subsection><subsection id="H5B26822ABE8D44EF9678F4D153195928" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Extraterritoriality</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is extraterritorial Federal jurisdiction over an offense under this section if the defendant or the depicted individual is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.</text></subsection><subsection id="H3DFD1CFE2C394B2C8A92443EAACDB3F5" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(g)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rule of construction</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the application of any other relevant law, including section 2252 of this title.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block display="yes">.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H3B3265DC59A448C2AC87C1A3A915579A" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections for <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/18/88">chapter 88</external-xref> of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/18/1801">section 1801</external-xref> the following: </text><quoted-block style="USC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8CEB438DB50C461AB91369FB15234A1F"><toc regeneration="no-regeneration"><toc-entry level="section" bold="off">1802. Certain activities relating to intimate visual depictions.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block display="yes">.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="H30583F446AC34A1487F0B433756552E0" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Conforming amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 2264(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting <quote>, or under section 1802 of this title</quote> before the period.</text></subsection></section></legis-body></bill> 

