HB924 MD introduced

Child Exploitation Material - Civil and Criminal Actions (Safe Kids Act)

Sexual Offenses Parents and Guardians Civil Actions and Procedures Damages Attorney General Pornography Attorneys' Fees Digital Images Court Costs Video Civil Actions Liability Age Crimes and Punishments internet Artificial Intelligence Photography Victims Child Abuse and Neglect Criminal Law - Substantive Crimes privacy

Plain-English summary

1. **ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY**: HB924 aims to strengthen laws against child exploitation material by raising the age of victims and including AI-generated images in its definitions.

2. **KEY REQUIREMENTS**:
   - Do not create, distribute, or possess any child exploitation material, including computer-generated images.
   - Ensure compliance with the new definitions and standards regarding child pornography.

3. **DEADLINES**: 
   - The bill is currently in the introduction stage; the effective date will be determined once it passes.

4. **PENALTIES**: 
   - Violations may lead to civil actions and criminal charges, with potential fines and penalties imposed by the Attorney General.

5. **SMB IMPACT**: Small businesses involved in digital content creation or distribution must ensure their practices comply with the new definitions and standards to avoid severe legal consequences. This may require updating policies and training staff on compliance.

Source description

Prohibiting certain conduct relating to child exploitation material; establishing a civil action for a certain violation of the Act; authorizing the Attorney General to enforce certain provisions of the Act; defining "computer-generated image" in certain provisions relating to crimes involving child pornography to include an image created through the use of artificial intelligence software; and increasing from 16 to 18 the requisite age of a child considered to be a victim of certain child pornography crimes.

Not legal advice. Summaries are generated by AI from publicly available bill text and may contain errors or omissions. Always consult counsel before making compliance decisions.