Bill > H1545

This bill creates the offense of "Harmful Communication to a Minor," which prohibits an adult from engaging in a pattern of communication to a minor that includes explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual activity, sexual conduct, or sexual excitement, if such communication is harmful to minors. The bill also amends the Criminal Punishment Code to rank this new offense on the offense severity ranking chart. Additionally, the bill revises the ranking of certain child exploitation offenses for purposes of the offense severity ranking chart and prohibits the raising of specified arguments as a defense in a prosecution for certain violations. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2024.