Pornography Laws: California Debating Condom Cops In Upcoming Election

California is debating a proposition that could turn ordinary citizens into condom cops for the porn industry. Proposition 60 would create more stringent requirements for condom use in pornography while allowing Californians to sue producers if they notice they weren’t being used.

California is the leading producer of pornography, with the majority of films produced in Los Angeles County. The 2,000 performers throughout the state are already required by law to use condoms when filming sexual intercourse, but official entities are lenient when it comes to enforcement.

Proposition 60 aims to let any Californians bring a civil lawsuit against a pornography company when they feel health and safety rules are being violated. The law would clarify the existing legal language, which only discusses preventing contact with blood and bodily fluids, to explicitly mention condoms. The proposition would also require producers to pay for testing, vaccination, and other necessary healthcare expenses. Currently, porn performers are obligated to pay for their testing and vaccinations out of pocket.

The law would also extend the statute of limitations for violating health and safety regulations. Currently, it ends just six months after the film is released. Companies often hold off on releasing their movies to exceed the statute of limitations and avoid violations, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Proposition 60 is sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, but most Democrats, Republicans and industry workers are against it. Opponents say the law opens performers to harassment, extortion, privacy violations and profiteering.

"Proposition 60 puts targets on the backs of performers by giving any Californian the ability to sue an adult performer who works on a film without a visible condom," wrote Dr. Jay Gladstein of the UCLA School of Medicine, and Chanel Preston, chairwoman of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, in the Sacramento Bee on behalf of the No Proposition 60 campaign.

"That means you, your neighbors, your friends or family, could file lawsuits and collect a cash bounty – becoming for profit-condom cops."

The proposition is on the Nov. 8 ballot.