The Alabama Child Protection Act of 2024, also known as HB168, aims to enhance the legal framework surrounding child sexual abuse material by amending various sections of the Code of Alabama. Key provisions include a clarified definition of "child sexual abuse material," which now encompasses any visual depiction of an individual under 18 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including virtually indistinguishable representations. The bill raises the age threshold for separate offenses from 17 to 18 years and replaces the term "obscene matter" with "child sexual abuse material" to emphasize the severity of these offenses. It also establishes penalties for knowingly disseminating, displaying, or possessing such material, categorizing these offenses as Class B felonies, and introduces an affirmative defense for defendants if the depicted individual was actually 18 or older.

Additionally, the bill mandates the State Board of Education to require local school boards to develop policies addressing the distribution of private images and child sexual abuse material, including a prohibition on AI-generated explicit content. It repeals Section 13A-12-195, which dealt with the commercial exploitation of obscene material, and provides protections for internet service providers against liability for content they do not control. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2024, and aims to strengthen enforcement against child exploitation while ensuring stricter consequences for offenders.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13A-6-240, 13A-12-190, 13A-12-191, 13A-12-192, 13A-12-193, 13A-12-194, 13A-12-196, 13A-12-197, 13A-12-198
Engrossed: 13A-6-240, 13A-12-190, 13A-12-191, 13A-12-192, 13A-12-193, 13A-12-194, 13A-12-196, 13A-12-197, 13A-12-198
Enrolled: 13A-6-240, 13A-12-190, 13A-12-191, 13A-12-192, 13A-12-193, 13A-12-194, 13A-12-196, 13A-12-197, 13A-12-198