Senate Bill 554 Summary

• Provides affirmative defenses to charges of disseminating matter harmful to minors, child exploitation, and possession of child pornography when a cellular telephone or social networking website is used and both parties are within 4 years of age, in a dating or ongoing personal relationship, both under 22 years old, and the recipient consented.

• Limits the affirmative defense so it does not apply if the image is disseminated to anyone other than the person who sent it or the person depicted in it.

• Authorizes school corporations to offer classes, instruction, or programs regarding risks and consequences of creating and sharing sexually suggestive or explicit materials through digital media.

• Requires school corporation discipline rules to prohibit bullying through computers, computer systems, or computer networks operated by the school.

• Makes technical corrections to existing statutes by replacing gendered pronouns with gender-neutral language.