On May 3, the House Judiciary Committee approved, by voice vote, H.R. 1761, the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act, sponsored by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), as amended.
The bill would criminalize the creation and transmission of child pornography. According to Rep. Johnson, the bill would close a loophole created in United States v. Palomino-Coronado, a federal ruling in which the creator of child pornography avoided prosecution.