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HB 1777

Civil procedure; Oklahoma Citizens Participation Act; excluding certain legal action; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Julie Daniels and 1 co-sponsor

Expands grooming law to criminalize disseminating sexually explicit material to, or bribing/attempting to bribe, a child 13 or younger, with penalties set by offender's age.

Becomes law without Governor's signature 05/13/2025
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1777

Summary — HB 1777 (Arkansas, 95th General Assembly) — Amends sexually grooming a child statute (Act 683)

Note on source material: The documents provided include mixed content (an Arkansas bill amending criminal law and fragments of an Illinois bill and an unrelated municipal tax title). This summary focuses on the Arkansas HB 1777 material that was enacted (listed as Act 683) and amends Arkansas Code § 5-27-307 concerning the offense of sexually grooming a child.

Main purpose

To expand and clarify the criminal offense of “sexually grooming a child” by expressly including bribing or attempting to bribe a child and by defining key terms and penalties.

Key provisions

  • Amends Arkansas Code § 5-27-307 (Sexually grooming a child).
  • New definitions:
    • “Bribe” — to offer or bestow any property, gift, good, or service, or to withhold any property, gift, good, or service, with the purpose of obtaining acceptance, cooperation, or compliance from the child.
    • “Disseminates” — to allow to view, expose, furnish, present, sell, or otherwise distribute.
  • Expanded prohibited conduct:
    • A person commits the offense if he or she knowingly disseminates to a child 13 years of age or younger (with or without consideration) a visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct, or bribes or attempts to bribe the child, with the purpose of enticing, inducing, or grooming the child to engage in sexual intercourse, sexually explicit conduct, or deviate sexual activity.
  • Penalties:
    • Class D felony if the actor is 21 years of age or older.
    • Class A misdemeanor if the actor is younger than 21 years of age.
  • Defenses and limitations:
    • Affirmative defense: actor was not more than three (3) years older than the victim.
    • Not a defense: the actor’s ignorance or mistaken belief about the child’s age (for example, thinking the child was 14 or older) is expressly not a defense.

Who is affected

  • Potential defendants: persons who distribute sexually explicit visual/print material to children 13 or younger, or who bribe/attempt to bribe such children for sexual activity — penalties vary by age of the actor.
  • Victims: children (defined here for the offense as 13 years old or younger).
  • Law enforcement and prosecutors: will apply the clarified definitions and expanded prohibited conduct in investigations and charging decisions.
  • Community organizations, online platforms, and media distributors: the “disseminates” definition may affect enforcement where materials are provided to minors.

Procedural/timeline aspects

  • Introduced in the Arkansas General Assembly (95th) and enacted as shown in legislative actions: passed by both chambers, enrolled, and approved by the Governor (notification that HB1777 is now Act 683 dated 2025-04-16).
  • A Senate amendment (Amendment S1) was adopted during the process (Sen. Gilmore added as cosponsor).
  • The bill text as provided is marked “As Engrossed S4/8/25.” For the official effective date and codified text, consult the Arkansas General Assembly or the revised Arkansas Code (post–Act 683).

If you’d like, I can:
- Pull the exact enacted statutory language as codified in Arkansas Code § 5-27-307 (post–Act 683), or
- Prepare a short plain-language explainer for parents, educators, or law enforcement summarizing what conduct is newly criminalized and examples of application.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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