RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin has signed a bill which aims to limit the access minors in Virginia have to online pornography.
SB 1515, introduced by Senator William Stanley, was signed by Youngkin on Friday, May 12.
According to Virginia’s Legislative Information System (LIS), the bill leaves it up to websites with “a substantial portion” of sexually explicit content or “material harmful to minors” to verify the ages of its users and creates a “civil cause of action” for any site or entity that knowingly distributes such content to people under 18.
The bill defines “material harmful to minors” as “any description or representation of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse when it (i) appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors, (ii) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors, and (iii) is, when taken as a whole, lacking in serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”
The bill also clarifies the definition of sexual conduct, so that it is “neutral regarding sexual orientation for the purpose of crimes related to prohibited sales and loans to juveniles.”
The bill does not impose liability on any internet service providers or users.
