Sponsors
The bill strengthens protections and updates military criminal law for nonconsensual distribution of intimate images—benefiting service members and deterring harmful digital conduct—but increases legal exposure, raises jurisdictional and due-process questions, and will add administrative burden to the military justice system.
Service members (particularly survivors of intimate-image misuse, including many women) gain stronger legal protection because the bill expands the covered conduct and culpability elements for nonconsensual broadcasting or distribution of intimate images.
Commanders, judge advocates, and military courts can apply the law more consistently because the bill clarifies mental-state (mens rea) elements tied to these offenses, reducing ambiguity in prosecutions and disciplinary action.
Modernizing the offense to cover digital harms better may deter revenge porn and similar abuses within the force, supporting unit cohesion and overall military readiness.
Service members may face uncertain criminal exposure for routine or ambiguous online communications if statutory language is vague, risking inconsistent enforcement and chilling lawful speech.
Expanding jurisdiction or criminalizing distribution of images that involve non-service members could create due-process and jurisdictional concerns—potentially affecting civilians, immigrants, and cross-jurisdiction cases handled by the military justice system.
Broader definitions and increased enforcement may raise the number of investigations and courts-martial, creating additional administrative burdens for commanders, military legal staff, and other federal employees.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Revises the UCMJ offense for wrongful broadcast/distribution of intimate images by expanding covered conduct, changing culpability elements, and updating penalties for those under military law.
Introduced September 2, 2025 by Nancy Mace · Last progress September 2, 2025
Modifies the Uniform Code of Military Justice to change how wrongful broadcast or distribution of intimate visual images is defined, who can be prosecuted, and how culpability is established. The bill expands and clarifies covered conduct and updates the criminal elements and penalties that apply to people subject to military law. The change affects service members and others under the UCMJ by creating a revised military offense for nonconsensual sharing or broadcasting of intimate images, which alters prosecution standards and the potential punishments under military justice.