HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3045

CHAPTER 590

(House Bill 155)

AN ACT concerning

Obscene Matter - Video Tapes and Video Discs

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the sale, rental, showing,
advertising for sale, or distribution of obscene video tapes
or video discs to persons under a certain age.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

Section 419

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1982 Replacement Volume and 1983 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

Section 424

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1982 Replacement Volume and 1983 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

419.

(a) (1) A person may not willfully or knowingly engage in
the business of selling, showing, advertising for sale, or
distributing to any person under the age of 18 years any still
picture, photograph, book, pocket book, pamphlet, [or] magazine,
VIDEO DISC, OR VIDEO TAPE the cover or content of which is
principally made up of descriptions or depictions of illicit sex,
or which consists of pictures of nude or partially denuded
figures posed or presented in a manner which an average person
applying contemporary community standards would find, taken as a
whole, appeals to prurient interest and lacks serious literary,
artistic, political or scientific value.

(2) An owner, operator, franchisee, manager, or any
employee with managerial responsibility of a newsstand or any
other place of business may not openly and knowingly display at
the newsstand or other place of business, if it is frequented by