Child grooming and morphed images; criminalize and amend provisions related to.
SB 2309 creates a new criminal offense in Mississippi for "grooming of a child," defined as a person over 21 knowingly engaging in a pattern of communication or conduct to prepare a child under 16 for sexual activity, human trafficking, or sexual servitude. It establishes penalties of 2-10 years in prison or fines up to $10,000 for first offenses, with harsher penalties (5-20 years, up to $30,000 fines) for those in positions of trust (e.g., teachers, coaches) or repeat offenders. The bill also amends definitions in related laws, including clarifying "morphed images" as altered visual depictions making a child appear to engage in sexual conduct. It directly affects individuals over 21 targeting minors and expands legal tools to prosecute online exploitation.
Bill status
died
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 14, 2025
Last action Mar 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Committee Substitute
→
Current version
·
1 edit
MINOR
The bill title was updated from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed the Senate', indicating the bill has moved through the legislative process and received Senate approval. This change reflects procedural progress rather than substantive policy modifications.
TECHNICAL
Title designation changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed the Senate', reflecting the bill's current legislative status without altering the underlying policy content.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 13, 2025
How they voted
51–0
Passed
Total votes 51
Feb 13, 2025
D
Democratic16
100% Yea
R
Republican35
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
7
Key actions
2
Committee
3
Feb 17, 2025
Committee
Referred To Judiciary B
lower
Feb 14, 2025
Introduced
Transmitted To House
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub
upper
Jan 20, 2025
Committee
Referred To Judiciary, Division B
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about SB 2309
Scope: MS
Hi! I can help you understand SB 2309. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline