HR 3686 · 118th Congress 2023–2025, ended

SHIELD Act of 2023

Fact sheet

Latest action · May 25, 2023 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedMay 25, 2023
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution Act of 2023 or the SHIELD Act of 2023

This bill establishes a new criminal offense related to the distribution of intimate visual depictions.

Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to knowingly mail or distribute (or attempt or threaten to distribute)

  • an intimate visual depiction of an individual with knowledge of the individual's lack of consent, where what is depicted was not voluntarily exposed by the individual in a public or commercial setting, and where what is depicted is not a matter of public concern; or
  • a visual depiction of a nude minor with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, or degrade the minor or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.

A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both—and mandatory restitution. Violators must also forfeit any material involved in the offense, property constituting or derived from the proceeds from the offense, and property used to commit or facilitate the offense.

Cosponsors 17

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 25, 2023 to Oct 18, 2024, with 3 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-PABrian K. FitzpatrickOriginalMay 25, 2023
R-SCNancy MaceOriginalMay 25, 2023
D-VIStacey E. PlaskettOriginalMay 25, 2023
D-TXColin Z. AllredJul 12, 2023
R-CAKevin KileyOct 24, 2023
D-TXSheila Jackson LeeOct 24, 2023
R-IAZachary NunnOct 24, 2023
R-NJThomas H. Kean, Jr.Mar 22, 2024
R-FLCarlos A. GimenezApr 23, 2024
D-GAHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.Apr 23, 2024
D-MIDebbie DingellMay 6, 2024
R-FLMaria Elvira SalazarJul 2, 2024
R-TXNathaniel MoranJul 2, 2024
R-TXTroy E. NehlsSep 3, 2024
D-MDGlenn IveySep 20, 2024

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 25, 2023Introduced in House
  2. May 25, 2023Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 412SHIELD Act of 2023Related billJul 15, 2024

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. May 25, 2023Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.