HOUSE BILL No. 4360

 

March 18, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Reeves, Adamini, Cheeks, Vagnozzi, Dennis, Bieda, Voorhees, Vander Veen, Hager, Pappageorge and Daniels and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1978 PA 33, entitled                                              

                                                                                

    "An act to prohibit the dissemination, exhibiting, or displaying            

    of certain sexually explicit matter to minors; to prohibit                  

    certain misrepresentations facilitating the dissemination of                

    sexually explicit matter to minors; to provide penalties; to                

    provide for declaratory judgments and injunctive relief in                  

    certain instances; to impose certain duties upon prosecuting                

    attorneys and the circuit court; to preempt local units of                  

    government from proscribing certain conduct; and to repeal                  

    certain acts and parts of acts,"                                            

                                                                                

    by amending sections 1 and 7 (MCL 722.671 and 722.677), section 7           

                                                                                

    as amended by 1999 PA 33.                                                   

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

2       (a) "Display" means to put or set out to view or to make                    

                                                                                

3   visible.                                                                    

                                                                                

4       (b) "Disseminate" means to sell, lend, give, exhibit, show,                 

                                                                                

5   or allow to examine or to offer or agree to do the same.                    

                                                                                

6       (c)  (a)  "Exhibit" means to do 1 or more of the following:                 

                                                                                


                                                                                

1                                                                                (i) Present a performance.                                                          

                                                                                

2       (ii) Sell, give, or offer to agree to sell or give a ticket                  

                                                                                

3   to a performance.                                                           

                                                                                

4       (iii) Admit a minor to premises where a performance is being                 

                                                                                

5   presented or is about to be presented.                                      

                                                                                

6       (b) "Disseminate" means to sell, lend, give, exhibit, or                    

                                                                                

7   show or to offer or agree to do the same.                                   

                                                                                

8       (d)  (c)  "Minor" means a person  under  less than 18 years                 

                                                                                

9   of age.                                                                     

                                                                                

10      (e) "Restricted area" means any of the following:                           

                                                                                

11                                                                               (i) An area behind a counter if access is limited only to                           

                                                                                

12  employees who are not minors and sexually explicit visual or                

                                                                                

13  verbal material is displayed only in devices that prevent public            

                                                                                

14  view of the lower 2/3 of the material's cover or exterior.                  

                                                                                

15      (ii) A building, or a distinct and enclosed area or room                     

                                                                                

16  within a building, if access by minors is prohibited, notice of             

                                                                                

17  the prohibition is prominently displayed, and access is monitored           

                                                                                

18  to prevent minors from entering.                                            

                                                                                

19      (iii) An area with at least 75% of its perimeter surrounded                  

                                                                                

20  by walls or solid, nontransparent dividers that are sufficiently            

                                                                                

21  high to prevent a minor in a nonrestricted area from seeing                 

                                                                                

22  sexually explicit visual or verbal material within the perimeter            

                                                                                

23  if the point of access provides prominent notice that access to             

                                                                                

24  minors is prohibited.                                                       

                                                                                

25      Sec. 7.  (1) A person  is guilty of displaying sexually                     

                                                                                

26  explicit matter to a minor if that person  who possesses                    

                                                                                

27  managerial responsibility for a business enterprise selling                 


                                                                                

1   sexually explicit visual  matter that depicts sexual intercourse            

                                                                                

2   or sadomasochistic abuse and is harmful to minors, and that                 

                                                                                

3   person knowingly permits a minor who is not accompanied by a                

                                                                                

4   parent or guardian to examine that matter  or verbal material               

                                                                                

5   shall not display that material knowing its nature unless the               

                                                                                

6   person does so in a restricted area.                                        

                                                                                

7       (2) A person knowingly permits a minor to examine visual                    

                                                                                

8   matter that depicts sexual intercourse or sadomasochistic abuse             

                                                                                

9   and is harmful to minors if the person knows both the nature of             

                                                                                

10  the matter and the status of the minor permitted to examine the             

                                                                                

11  matter.                                                                     

                                                                                

12      (2)  (3)  A person knows the nature of the  matter  material                

                                                                                

13  if the person either is aware of its character and content or               

                                                                                

14  recklessly disregards circumstances suggesting its character and            

                                                                                

15  content.                                                                    

                                                                                

16      (4) A person knows the status of a minor if the person                      

                                                                                

17  either is aware that the person who is permitted to examine the             

                                                                                

18  matter is under 18 years of age or recklessly disregards a                  

                                                                                

19  substantial risk that the person who is permitted to examine the            

                                                                                

20  matter is under 18 years of age.                                            

                                                                                

21      (3)  (5) Displaying sexually explicit matter to a minor is                  

                                                                                

22  A person who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor             

                                                                                

23  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of           

                                                                                

24  not more than $5,000.00, or both.                                           

                                                                                

25      (4)  (6)  This section does not apply if a person displays                  

                                                                                

26  sexually explicit matter to a minor by means of the internet or a           

                                                                                

27  computer network unless 1 or both of the following apply:                   


                                                                                

1       (a) The matter is obscene as that term is defined in                        

                                                                                

2   section 2 of 1984 PA 343, MCL 752.362.                                      

                                                                                

3       (b) The prosecuting attorney proves that the person                         

                                                                                

4   displayed the matter to 1 or more specific minors and knew his or           

                                                                                

5   her status as a minor.