HB 2252An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sexual offenses, further providing for the offense of unlawful dissemination of intimate image; and, in minors, further providing for the offense of sexual abuse of children.

Latest change summary

+19 / −142 words · LargeConfidence: medium

This version significantly narrows HB 2252 by reverting to an earlier scope focused exclusively on unlawful dissemination of intimate images, eliminating all provisions related to sexual abuse of children that had been added in prior amendments. The bill removes three sponsors and strips out directives to the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing regarding sentencing enhancements for familial sexual abuse. Within the remaining intimate image offense provisions, the changes include removing the explicit requirement that depicted individuals be identifiable, eliminating the 'negligently' mental state standard for the offense, and reclassifying the penalty when the victim is not a minor from a third-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree misdemeanor—though the section summaries present conflicting interpretations of whether this represents an increase or decrease in severity. These changes collectively represent a substantial rollback of the bill's scope and a recalibration of the intimate image offense elements.