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S 4571118th CongressFailed / ExpiredSenate

Interstate Obscenity Definition Act

Policy Area: Science, Technology, Communications
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
Senate
Last Updated
Jan 14, 2025
Latest Action Date
Jun 18, 2024

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (S.4571) was a Senate bill introduced in the 118th Congress aimed at addressing the definition of obscenity in interstate contexts. The bill was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation but did not advance further and ultimately failed or expired. No official summary or full text is available, limiting detailed analysis of its provisions. The bill falls under the policy area of Science, Technology, and Communications, suggesting it may have involved regulatory or definitional changes related to obscenity across state lines, potentially impacting communications or commerce.

Bottom Line

S.4571 sought to define obscenity in interstate matters but did not progress beyond committee referral and expired without enactment.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • The bill was introduced in the Senate during the 118th Congress and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  • No official summary or full text is publicly available, restricting detailed content analysis.
  • The bill is categorized under Science, Technology, and Communications, indicating a focus on regulatory definitions affecting interstate communications or commerce.
Who Benefits?

['Federal regulatory agencies involved in commerce and communications oversight', 'Entities engaged in interstate communications or commerce potentially affected by obscenity definitions', 'Legal and policy professionals specializing in obscenity law and interstate regulation']

Potential Concerns

['Lack of publicly available full text and summary limits transparency and understanding of specific provisions and their implications', 'Potential challenges in defining and enforcing obscenity standards across state lines, which may involve complex jurisdictional issues', 'Unclear funding or enforcement mechanisms due to absence of detailed bill text']

Political Context

The bill was introduced and referred to a relevant Senate committee but did not advance further, indicating limited legislative momentum. It addresses a longstanding area of legal and regulatory interest involving obscenity definitions, which historically involves balancing free speech considerations with regulatory objectives. The failure or expiration status suggests it did not receive significant legislative support or prioritization during the 118th Congress.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 2

GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

2 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['Potential influence on legal standards and enforcement practices related to obscenity in interstate communications and commerce.', 'Possible impact on businesses and platforms operating across state lines that handle content subject to obscenity regulations.', 'May affect future legislative or regulatory efforts addressing obscenity and communications law.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

The absence of an official summary and full bill text limits transparency and public oversight. Tracking the bill's referral to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation without further action highlights the importance of monitoring committee activity and legislative progress. The bill's failure or expiration status should be noted for understanding legislative priorities and the challenges of addressing interstate obscenity definitions.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 60%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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