S 1671 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Interstate Obscenity Definition Act
To define ``obscenity'' for purposes of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Defines "obscenity" in the Communications Act as visual depictions that appeal to prurient interest, depict sexual acts with intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire, and lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
- Applies the obscenity definition to pictures, images, films, videotapes, and other visual depictions transmitted through interstate or foreign communications.
- Incorporates the definitions of "sexual act" and "sexual contact" from federal criminal law for purposes of determining what constitutes obscene material under the Communications Act.
- Makes conforming amendments to the Communications Act to reflect the addition of the obscenity definition.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
-
![Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/L000577.thumb.jpg)
Sen. Lee, Mike (R-UT)
Actions (2)
- May 8, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. · senate
- May 8, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2025
Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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 Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Interstate Obscenity Definition Act”.
SEC. 2. DEFINING OBSCENITY.
(a) Definition.—
(1) In general.—Section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153) is amended—
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (38) through (59) as paragraphs (39) through (60), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (37) the following:
“(38) Obscene; obscenity.—
“(A) In general.—The term ‘obscene’ or ‘obscenity’, when used in a manner or context that explicitly refers to, or could apply to, a picture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or other visual depiction, includes a picture, image, graphic image file, film, videotape, or other visual depiction that—
“(i) taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion;
“(ii) depicts, describes, or represents, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or lewd exhibition of the genitals, with the objective intent to arouse, titillate, or gratify the sexual desires of a person; and
“(iii) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
“(B) Sexual act; sexual contact.—For purposes of subparagraph (A), the terms ‘sexual act’ and ‘sexual contact’ have the meanings given those terms in section 2246 of title 18, United States Code.”.
(2) Technical and conforming amendment.—Section 271(c)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 271(c)(1)(A)) is amended by striking “section 3(47)(A)” and inserting “section 3(55)(A)”.
(b) Obscene or Harassing Telephone Calls in the District of Columbia or in Interstate or Foreign Communications.—Section 223(a)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(a)(1)(A)) is amended, in the undesignated matter following clause (ii), by striking “, with intent to abuse, threaten, or harass another person”. <all>
Comments