While it is obviously inappropriate for teenagers to send sexually explicit photos through cell phones, punishing them as sex offenders or purveyors of child pornography is obviously overkill.

Common sense has made an appearance in the state legislature in the guise of House Bill 143, which would penalize those under 18 caught sending these photos through texting with fines of $100 and community service for the first offense. Those who commit a second “sexting” offense would be subject to prosecution under existing and more stringent laws. The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday by a 11-0 vote. It now goes to the full House for a vote.

The bill’s sponsor, State Rep. Martha Jane King, D-Lewisburg, said currently law enforcement takes an all-or-nothing approach to the problem. Authorities either don’t punish teens caught sexting or they use existing laws on pornography and voyeurism, which carry much harsher repercussions.

Sexting is a problem among teenagers in this state, but it is fair to say that a lot of teenagers who do it don’t really realize the implications of their actions because their judgment is not fully developed.

Once a sexually explicit picture is sent from their phone, it can take on a life of its own if posted on the Web.

We like the fact this bill is not merely intended to punish a teenager, but to educate them while letting them avoid overly severe punishment.

A Pew Research Center survey found that 8 percent of 17-year-old cell phone owners have sent suggestive images of themselves from their phones. The study also found that 15 percent of cell-owning youngsters ages 12 to 17 have received that kind of image of someone they know personally.

These statistics are astounding and stress the need for King’s bill to become law.

Will passing this bill stop sexting? Of course not, but it will raise awareness of teenagers that what they are doing is wrong and it could educate them about the consequences of their actions.