Stop Comstock Act

Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.

• Removes the word “indecent” and deletes an explicit clause referencing "means for procuring abortion" from federal obscenity statutes, narrowing language used to define prohibited materials.
• Rewrites portions of multiple Title 18 provisions, replacing long descriptive phrases with shorter or different terms and changing cross‑references used to identify prohibited material.
• Substantially strikes and replaces text in 19 U.S.C. §1305(a) (Tariff Act), altering which imported articles are prohibited or excepted under federal law.
• Changes are substantive rather than purely technical; they affect definitions, scope, and enforcement of criminal, postal, and customs prohibitions.
• No effective date is shown in the provided excerpt; agencies and courts will need to interpret and apply the revised statutory language.
• Publishers, mailers, importers, postal workers, and customs authorities are the primary groups likely to be affected.
• May reduce criminal exposure for some materials formerly captured by the term “indecent,” while also creating ambiguity about what remains prohibited.
• Will likely prompt updated guidance from DOJ, USPS, and CBP and could lead to litigation to resolve interpretive questions.
• Alters statutory cross‑references (e.g., use of section 230(f)(2)), which may change how related provisions are triggered or enforced.