HB192 passed it’s 3rd reading as amended by the state Senate and was signed by the speaker on Monday April 8th —
HB192’s primary sponsor was Marilyn Ryan (D) HD 99 Missoula.
House Bill 192 would make sharing non-consensual pornography criminal in the State of Montana.
Rep. Marilyn Ryan, D-Missoula said a person’s first and second violation would result in misdemeanors. The fines range from $500 to $1,000, and perpetrators could be held in county jail for up to a year. A person’s third violation would result in a felony, and offenders could face up to five years in the state prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Read the bill HB192
Montana is now the 42nd state in the Union to criminalize non-consensual pornography with the passage of HB192.
HB192’s passage was assisted greatly with help from the testimony of the victims directly affected by the distribution of their nude photos without their permission, thus violating their right to freedom and personal autonomy.
The ACLU’s SK Rossi seems to think the the bill is too harsh, but also that Montana did need a non-consensual pornography law of some sort while emphasizing the rights of the defendant should be more highly regarded.
