HOUSE BILL No. 5605
February 19, 1998, Introduced by Reps. Baade, Hammerstrom, Goschka, Lowe, Walberg, McBryde, Jansen, Olshove, Harder, Curtis and Voorhees and referred to the Committee on Corrections. 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 cer- tain misrepresentations facilitating the dissemination of sexu- ally 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, 5, and 7 (MCL 722.671, 722.675, and 722.677). 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. 03887'97 JOJ 2 1 (C) (a) "Exhibit" means to do 1 or more of the following: 2 (i) Present a performance. 3 (ii) Sell, give, or offer to agree to sell or give a ticket 4 to a performance. 5 (iii) Admit a minor to premises where a performance is being 6 presented or is about to be presented. 7 (b) "Disseminate" means to sell, lend, give, exhibit, or 8 show or to offer or agree to do the same. 9 (D) (c) "Minor" means a person under LESS THAN 18 years 10 of age. 11 (E) "RESTRICTED AREA" MEANS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 12 (i) AN AREA BEHIND A COUNTER IF ACCESS IS LIMITED ONLY TO 13 EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT MINORS AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT VISUAL OR 14 VERBAL MATERIAL IS DISPLAYED ONLY IN DEVICES THAT PREVENT PUBLIC 15 VIEW OF THE LOWER 2/3 OF THE MATERIAL'S COVER OR EXTERIOR. 16 (ii) A BUILDING, OR A DISTINCT AND ENCLOSED AREA OR ROOM 17 WITHIN A BUILDING, IF ACCESS BY MINORS IS PROHIBITED, NOTICE OF 18 THE PROHIBITION IS PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED, AND ACCESS IS MONITORED 19 TO PREVENT MINORS FROM ENTERING. 20 (iii) AN AREA WITH AT LEAST 75% OF ITS PERIMETER SURROUNDED 21 BY WALLS OR SOLID, NONTRANSPARENT DIVIDERS THAT ARE SUFFICIENTLY 22 HIGH TO PREVENT A MINOR IN A NONRESTRICTED AREA FROM SEEING SEXU- 23 ALLY EXPLICIT VISUAL OR VERBAL MATERIAL WITHIN THE PERIMETER IF 24 THE POINT OF ACCESS PROVIDES PROMINENT NOTICE THAT ACCESS TO 25 MINORS IS PROHIBITED. 03887'97 3 1 Sec. 5. (1) A person is guilty of distributing obscene 2 matter to a minor if that person does SHALL NOT DO either of the 3 following: 4 (a) Knowingly disseminates DISSEMINATE to a minor sexually 5 explicit visual or verbal material that is harmful to minors. 6 (b) Knowingly exhibits EXHIBIT to a minor a sexually 7 explicit performance that is harmful to minors. 8 (2) A person knowingly disseminates sexually explicit matter 9 to a minor when IF the person knows both the nature of the 10 matter and the status of the minor to whom the matter is 11 disseminated. 12 (3) A person knows the nature of matter if the person either 13 is aware of the ITS character and content of the matter or 14 recklessly disregards circumstances suggesting the ITS charac- 15 ter and content. of the matter. 16 (4) A person knows the status of a minor if the person 17 either is aware that the person to whom the dissemination is made 18 is under 18 years of age or recklessly disregards a substantial 19 risk that the person to whom the dissemination is made is under 20 18 years of age. 21 (5) Distributing obscene matter to a minor A PERSON WHO 22 VIOLATES SUBSECTION (1) is GUILTY OF a misdemeanor , punishable 23 by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more 24 than $10,000.00, or both. In imposing the fine, authorized for 25 this offense, the court shall consider the scope of the 26 defendant's commercial activity in distributing obscene 27 DISSEMINATING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT matter to minors. 03887'97 4 1 Sec. 7. (1) A person is guilty of displaying obscene 2 matter to a minor if that person WHO possesses managerial 3 responsibility for a business enterprise selling SEXUALLY 4 EXPLICIT visual matter which depicts sexual intercourse or sado- 5 masochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors, and that person 6 knowingly permits a minor who is not accompanied by a parent or 7 guardian to examine that matter OR VERBAL MATERIAL SHALL NOT 8 DISPLAY THAT MATERIAL KNOWING ITS NATURE UNLESS THE PERSON DOES 9 SO IN A RESTRICTED AREA. 10 (2) A person knowingly permits a minor to examine visual 11 matter which depicts sexual intercourse or sadomasochistic abuse 12 and which is harmful to minors, if the person knows both the 13 nature of the matter and the status of the minor permitted to 14 examine the matter. 15 (2) (3) A person knows the nature of the matter MATERIAL 16 if the person either is aware of the ITS character and content 17 of the matter or recklessly disregards circumstances suggesting 18 the ITS character and content. of the matter. 19 (4) A person knows the status of a minor if the person 20 either is aware that the person who is permitted to examine the 21 matter is under 18 years of age or recklessly disregards a sub- 22 stantial risk that the person who is permitted to examine the 23 matter is under 18 years of age. 24 (3) (5) Displaying obscene matter to a minor A PERSON WHO 25 VIOLATES SUBSECTION (1) is GUILTY OF a misdemeanor , punishable 26 by imprisonment for not more than 90 days , or a fine of not 27 more than $5,000.00, or both. 03887'97