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Rhode IslandH50462025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ELECTRONIC IMAGING DEVICES .

Sponsored By: Jason Knight (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Felony penalties for private image blackmail

Intentionally threatening to disclose a covered private sexual image to obtain a benefit is a felony. This includes seeking a benefit for staying silent or in connection with the threatened disclosure. Demanding money, property, services, or anything valuable to remove a covered image from public view is also a felony. Each offense carries up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.

Image offenses do not require sex-offender registration

Violating these image-sharing, threat, or removal-payment rules does not require registration under Rhode Island's sex-offender registration law. The criminal fines and jail or prison penalties still apply.

New protections against sharing private sexual images

Effective upon passage, Rhode Island law makes intentionally sharing, publishing, or selling covered sexual images without consent a crime. It covers digital images, including images altered by digitization, showing an identifiable adult age 18 or older. Images must show sexual activity or intimate areas: naked genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast below the areola’s top. The image must have been made or obtained with a reasonable expectation of privacy, or created without the person's consent. The offender must know or recklessly disregard likely harm, or intend to harass, intimidate, threaten, or coerce. A first offense carries up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. Later offenses are felonies carrying up to three years in prison, a $3,000 fine, or both. Exceptions cover voluntary exposure in public or commercial settings or without a reasonable expectation of privacy; public-interest, scientific, and educational uses; lawful public proceedings; law enforcement, crime reporting, corrections, legal proceedings, reporting unlawful conduct, and medical treatment; and matters of public concern, including newsworthy events or public figures. Rhode Island can apply the law when any element of the crime or resulting harm occurs in the state.

Services protected from liability for others’ images

The law shields covered online, information, and telecommunications services from liability under this section for content supplied by someone else. People depicted in those images cannot use this section to hold covered services liable for that third-party content. This protection does not extend to content the services supply themselves.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Jason Knight

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Karen Alzate

    Democratic • House

  • Justine A. Caldwell

    Democratic • House

  • Julie A. Casimiro

    Democratic • House

  • Terri Cortvriend

    Democratic • House

  • Arthur J. Corvese

    Democratic • House

  • Katherine S. Kazarian

    Democratic • House

  • Rebecca M. Kislak

    Democratic • House

  • Thomas E. Noret

    Democratic • House

  • June Speakman

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 95 • No: 7

Senate vote • 6/20/2025

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ELECTRONIC IMAGING DEVICES In Concurrence Passage

Yes: 34 • No: 0

House vote • 2/27/2025

ELECTRONIC IMAGING DEVICES PASSAGE

Yes: 61 • No: 7

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by Governor — Chapter 430

    7/2/2025Governor

  2. Transmitted to Governor

    6/27/2025Governor

  3. Senate passed in concurrence

    6/20/2025Senate

  4. Placed on Senate Calendar (06/20/2025)

    6/18/2025Senate

  5. Committee recommends passage in concurrence

    6/18/2025

  6. Scheduled for consideration (06/18/2025)

    6/16/2025

  7. Referred to Senate Judiciary

    3/21/2025Senate

  8. House read and passed

    2/27/2025House

  9. Placed on House Calendar (02/27/2025)

    2/21/2025House

  10. Committee recommends passage

    2/11/2025

  11. Scheduled for consideration (02/11/2025)

    2/7/2025

  12. Committee recommended measure be held for further study

    2/4/2025

  13. Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/04/2025)

    1/31/2025

  14. Introduced, referred to House Judiciary

    1/15/2025House

Bill Text

  • H5046 - As Introduced

    1/15/2025

    HTMLPDF

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