Communications Decency Act of 1995

Summary

Communications Decency Act of 1995 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the use of any telecommunications device (currently, only the telephone) by a person not disclosing his or her identity in order to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person who receives such communication. Prohibits the repeated use of a telecommunications device solely for harassment purposes. Prohibits a person from allowing the use of any telecommunications facility (currently, telephone facility) in his or her control for such purposes. Increases: (1) the fine and maximum sentence for such violations; and (2) the fine for the transmission over a cable system of obscene or otherwise unprotected material. (Sec. 4) Amends the Federal criminal code to: (1) increase the fine for broadcasting obscene, indecent, or profane language over the radio; and (2) include digital communications in a prohibition against the interception and disclosure of various forms of communications. (Sec. 6) Prohibits a person making a toll-free telephone call from being assessed a charge for the call by being asked to connect or otherwise transfer to a pay-per-call service. (Sec. 7) Requires a cable operator, in providing video programming unsuitable for children to any subscriber through a cable system, to fully scramble or otherwise block the video and audio portion of each channel carrying such programming to ensure that one not a subscriber to such programming does not receive it. (Sec. 8) Allows a cable operator to refuse to transmit any portion of a public access program or leased access program which contains obscenity, indecency, or nudity.

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Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 1 February 1995

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• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 1 February 1995

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 1 February 1995

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