Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Kinkead bill to combat image-based sexual abuse clears PA House

Kinkead bill to combat image-based sexual abuse clears PA House

Legislation cracking down on nonconsensual sharing of intimate images advances to Senate

Rep. Emily Kinkead    June 10, 2026 | 4:18 PM

HARRISBURG, June 10 – State Rep. Emily Kinkead announced today that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed her bill to expand protections against image-based sexual abuse by strengthening and closing loopholes in the state's existing law.

House Bill 2252 would combat the nonconsensual sharing of real or AI-generated intimate images by ensuring accountability regardless of the perpetrator’s relationship to the victim, expanding the definition of intent to include knowing or reckless distribution, and creating a tiered system of penalties based on the level of harm and intent.

Current law applies only when the perpetrator is a current or former intimate partner of the victim and acts with the intent to harass or annoy.

“Pennsylvania's laws must keep pace with the realities of the digital age,” said Kinkead, D-Allegheny. “When sexually explicit images are shared without consent, our current law leaves many victims without recourse because it applies only in limited circumstances. This bill is designed to provide a path to justice for people whose most private moments have been weaponized against them, whether the perpetrator is a former partner or a stranger on the internet.”

House Bill 2252 now moves to the state Senate for consideration.