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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah may soon have a new law requiring pornographic materials carry a label warning about the potential harmful effects it can have on minors.
HB243 soared through the House on Monday as lawmakers voted 57-11 to approve an amendment introduced in the Senate last week. As the House’s concurrence of the changes was the last action the bill needed in the two legislative bodies, it will now go before the governor for his signature or veto.
The warning would need to say: “Exposing minors to obscene material may damage or negatively impact minors.” A prior version of the bill’s warning was far lengthier and would have included cautions against the negative impacts the content can have on “brain development, emotional development and the ability to maintain intimate relationships.”
The bill would make it so individuals who distribute or publish pornographic material with the intent of profiting off their actions could be sued up to $2,500 for each violation if they don’t include the warning. Action could be brought up by both the public and Utah’s attorney general, but individuals would need to notify the attorney general’s office before proceeding.
Pornography distributors could also avoid charges if they can prove that at least 75% of the time throughout the past six months they’ve followed the warning label mandate for content entering the state.
Video games would also not be liable if they include the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s highest cautionary rating.
Bill sponsor Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Highland, praised the amendments as good and friendly, before the legislation was swiftly sent onward.
