Do you sext?

The National Campaign against Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy says nearly one-third of young adults (ages 20 to 26) and one-fifth of teens (ages 13 to 19) have texted or posted online nude or partially nude photos of themselves.

Nearly twice as many in both categories have sent sexually suggestive texts, e-mails and Instant Messages.

Some might not consider sexting a big deal. They see it as the norm among young people, just some harmless flirting.

But others disagree.

Jessica Logan, an 18-year-old from Cincinnati, committed suicide last year after she was harassed when a nude photo she sexted her ex-boyfriend was shown to other students.

Adult sexters caught exchanging or sending nude photos of minors without the minor’s permission fall under the category of child pornography and can face jail time and mandatory sex offender registration if convicted.

However, there are no laws pertaining exclusively to minor-to-minor and minor-to-adult sexting, but the Ohio House of Representatives is looking to change that.

The Public Safety and Health Committee passed a resolution Tuesday to move Ohio House Bill 473 to the House floor for a vote.

Today, the House will hear and possibly vote on the bill, which would establish clarifications on video and photography sexting and punishments for those involved.

Rep. Connie Pillich, Democrat, is the sponsor of the bill. Logan was a resident of her district, and her death is the reason she decided to pursue this legislation, she said.

The bill, if passed, will make it a misdemeanor if a minor is convicted of sending nude or partially nude photos of another minor without permission. This way, children cannot be convicted of child pornography and forced to register as sex offenders.

The bill has received considerable interest among other organizations. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio testified at a hearing last week for the bill that sexting was a problem that needed to be solved.

However, it didn’t fully support the bill. It mostly focused on the section that establishes the misdemeanor charge.

“Naivety is part of adolescence, and society has a responsibility to teach young people to protect themselves,” said Carrie Davis, staff attorney and legislative counsel of American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, in last week’s testimony. “Threatening teens with criminal prosecution … is not the solution.”

Davis and the American Civil Liberties Union propose establishing education on sexting in schools. They also advise victims of sexting to sue, not prosecute, the minor who spread the image.

The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association also testified last week and opposed the bill. Speaking on behalf of the association, Executive Director John Murphy testified that the bill would lower the seriousness of sexting.

If the House does pass the bill tomorrow, it will then move to the Ohio Senate. However, the legislative breaks for summer session next week, so if the bill does go to the Senate, it’s likely it won’t be addressed until the fall, Davis said.

Although the bill would like to make sexting charges a misdemeanor for minors, if anyone 18 or above is convicted of knowingly sending or receiving pictures of a minor without their consent, they can still face child pornography charges.

“That’s one of the weird things about sexting,” Davis said. “If you are 17-and-364-days old, they can potentially charge you with a crime. They’re still trying to figure out what do, and they’re really struggling with it.”

To Pillich’s knowledge, although minors have faced charges of child pornography from sexting, these minors haven’t been convicted. Pillich said that’s why the bill is necessary to establish “facts” and “provisions” for future sexting cases.

It was unclear whether this bill will open up proposed legislation regarding young adults and sexting.