Text of US HB 3297 (2025)

I 119TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3297 To define ‘‘obscenity’’ for purposes of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 8, 2025 Mrs. MILLER of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To define ‘‘obscenity’’ for purposes of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Interstate Obscenity 4 Definition Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. DEFINING OBSCENITY. 6 (a) DEFINITION.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 of the Commu- 8 nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153) is amended— 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 May 17, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3297.IH H3297 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3297 IH (A) by redesignating paragraphs (38) 1 through (59) as paragraphs (39) through (60), 2 respectively; and 3 (B) by inserting after paragraph (37) the 4 following: 5 ‘‘(38) OBSCENE; OBSCENITY.— 6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘obscene’ or 7 ‘obscenity’, when used in a manner or context 8 that explicitly refers to, or could apply to, a pic- 9 ture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, 10 or other visual depiction, includes a picture, 11 image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or 12 other visual depiction that— 13 ‘‘(i) taken as a whole, appeals to the 14 prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excre- 15 tion; 16 ‘‘(ii) depicts, describes, or represents, 17 an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual 18 contact, actual or simulated normal or per- 19 verted sexual acts, or lewd exhibition of the 20 genitals, with the objective intent to 21 arouse, titillate, or gratify the sexual de- 22 sires of a person; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 May 17, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3297.IH H3297 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3297 IH ‘‘(iii) taken as a whole, lacks serious 1 literary, artistic, political, or scientific 2 value. 3 ‘‘(B) SEXUAL ACT; SEXUAL CONTACT.— 4 For purposes of subparagraph (A), the terms 5 ‘sexual act’ and ‘sexual contact’ have the mean- 6 ings given those terms in section 2246 of title 7 18, United States Code.’’. 8 (2) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND- 9 MENT.—Section 271(c)(1)(A) of the Communica- 10 tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 271(c)(1)(A)) is 11 amended by striking ‘‘section 3(47)(A)’’ and insert- 12 ing ‘‘section 3(55)(A)’’. 13 (b) OBSCENE OR HARASSING TELEPHONE CALLS IN 14 THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OR IN INTERSTATE OR FOR- 15 EIGN COMMUNICATIONS.—Section 223(a)(1)(A) of the 16 Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(a)(1)(A)) is 17 amended, in the undesignated matter following clause (ii), 18 by striking ‘‘, with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass 19 another person’’. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 May 17, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3297.IH H3297 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS