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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

SB 305

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: protection from prosecution for employees of libraries and educational institutions possessing obscene materials.

Indians and tribal issues Obscenity Parochial and private schools School — Employee

  1. Introduced, stopped here
  2. Passes Senate, not reached
  3. Passes Assembly, not reached
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, it is a crime to import, print, sell, possess for sale, publish,

exhibit, play, or distribute any obscene material; to produce or perform in any

obscene performance; to require, as a condition to the purchase of periodicals, that

a retailer accept obscene material; to distribute, exhibit, or play any obscene material

to a person under the age of 18 years; or to possess with intent to distribute, exhibit,

or play to a person under the age of 18 years any obscene material. Obscene material

means a writing, picture, film, or other recording that the average person, applying

contemporary community standards, would find appeals to the prurient interest if

taken as a whole; that under contemporary community standards describes or shows

sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and that lacks serious literary, artistic,

political, educational, or scientific value, if taken as a whole.

Under current law, no person who is an employee, a member of the board of

directors, or a trustee of certain educational institutions and libraries is liable to

prosecution for an obscene materials violation for acts or omissions while in his or

her capacity as an employee, a member of the board of directors, or a trustee of such

an institution. This bill removes public elementary and secondary schools, private

schools, and tribal schools from the list of institutions for which an employee is

protected from prosecution for an obscene materials violation.

Sponsors

Introduced by: Jacque (R) , Nass (R)

9 cosponsors

Allen (R) , Bodden (R) , Brandtjen (R) , Knodl (R) , Maxey (R) , Michalski (R) , Murphy (R) , Tomczyk (R) , Wichgers (R)

Full history

  1. May 24, 2023 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Jacque and Nass; cosponsored by Representatives Allen, Bodden, Brandtjen, Maxey, Wichgers and Murphy

  2. May 24, 2023 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families

  3. Jul 18, 2023 · Senate

    Senator Tomczyk added as a coauthor

  4. Jul 19, 2023 · Senate

    Senator Knodl added as a coauthor

  5. Dec 12, 2023 · Senate

    Representative Michalski added as a cosponsor

  6. Apr 15, 2024 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1