SB70 • 2026

Crimes and offenses; sex offenses involving a child; crime of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer, further provided for

Children Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Givhan
Last action: 2026-02-25
Official status: Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does include provisions about being tried as an adult, but it is unclear if these apply to all cases or only specific ones. The summary provided does not specify the exact penalties for violations of this new rule.

Expanding Laws on Transmitting Obscene Material to Children via Computer

This bill changes the law to make it illegal for someone to send obscene material to anyone they believe is a child, not just actual children.

What This Bill Does

Adds new rules that say sending obscene pictures or videos to people you believe are under 17 years old can be against the law.
Defines 'child' as any person under 17 years of age for this specific crime.
Says the crime happens in Alabama if it starts there or is received there, even if other parts happen elsewhere.

Who It Names or Affects

People who send obscene material to others they think are children under 17 years old.
Law enforcement agencies investigating such crimes.
Courts handling cases of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer.

Terms To Know

Obscene Material: Pictures or videos that show nudity, sexual acts, or abuse in ways that are illegal and harmful.
Computer Communication System: Any system used to send information over the internet or other networks.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if someone is mistaken about a person's age.
It remains unclear how this law will be enforced and how it might affect free speech rights.
The exact penalties for breaking this new rule are not detailed in the summary.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

11D873Z-1

Judiciary

Reported Out of Committee Second House

Plain English: 11D873Z-1 02/25/2026 GED (H) HSE 2025-2413 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB70 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section 13A-6-111, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the crime of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer.

11D873Z-1 02/25/2026 GED (H) HSE 2025-2413 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB70 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section 13A-6-111, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the crime of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
Section 13A-6-111, Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows: "§13A-6-111 (a) A person is guilty of transmitting obscene material to a child if the person transmits, by means of any computer communication system allowing the input, output, examination, or transfer of computer programs from one computer to another, material which, in whole or in part, depicts actual or simulated nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse sexually explicit conduct, as defined in Section 13A-12-190, including a virtually indistinguishable depiction , for the purpose of initiating or engaging in sexual acts with the child or an individual the person believes to be a child .
(b) For the purposes of this section, a "child" includes any person under 17 years of age.

This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

2026-02-25 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-25 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-02-17 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 436 (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-02-17 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-02-17 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-17 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
2026-01-14 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-14 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-13 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety

Official Summary Text

Crimes and offenses; sex offenses involving a child; crime of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer, further provided for

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB70 INTRODUCED
Page 0
SB70
CXL5CQW-1
By Senators Givhan, Gudger, Jones, Roberts, Hovey, Weaver
RFD: Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety
First Read: 13-Jan-26
1
2
3
4
5
CXL5CQW-1 08/18/2025 GED (L)ma 2025-2413
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, an individual is guilty of
transmitting obscene material to a child by computer if
the individual transmits material depicting actual or
simulated nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic
abuse to a child for the purpose of initiating or
engaging in sexual acts with the child.
This bill would expand the offense of
transmitting obscene material to a child by computer to
include events where an individual transmits obscene
material to a person the individual believes to be a
child.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section
13A-6-111, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the
crime of transmitting obscene material to a child by computer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 13A-6-111, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§13A-6-111
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
SB70 INTRODUCED
Page 2
"§13A-6-111
(a) A person is guilty of transmitting obscene material
to a child if the person transmits, by means of any computer
communication system allowing the input, output, examination,
or transfer of computer programs from one computer to another,
material which, in whole or in part, depicts actual or
simulated nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse,
for the purpose of initiating or engaging in sexual acts with
the child or an individual the person believes to be a child .
(b) For the purposes of this section, a "child"
includes any person under 17 years of age.
(c) For purposes of determining jurisdiction, the
offense is committed in this state if the transmission that
constitutes the offense either originates in this state or is
received in this state.
(d) A person charged under this section shall be tried
as an adult and the record of the proceeding shall not be
sealed nor subject to expungement.
(e) Transmitting obscene material of engaging in sexual
intercourse, sodomy, or to engage in a sexual performance,
obscene sexual performance, or sexual conduct for his or her
benefit to a child A violation of this section is a Class B
felony."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52