119-hr1274

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1274 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1274

 To reauthorize the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 12, 2025

 Ms. Wasserman Schultz (for herself, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Moskowitz, and 
 Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To reauthorize the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, and for other 
 purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

    (a) Establishment of National Strategy for Child Exploitation 
Prevention and Interdiction.--

Section 101 of the PROTECT Our Children 
Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21111) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (b) , by striking ``every second year'' 
 and inserting ``every fourth year''; and

    (2) by striking subsection
            (c) and inserting the following:
 ``
            (c) Required Contents of National Strategy.--The National 
Strategy established under subsection

    (a) shall include the following:
 ``

    (1) An analysis of current trends, challenges, and the 
 overall magnitude of the threat of child exploitation.
 ``

    (2) An analysis of future trends and challenges, 
 including new technologies, that will impact the efforts to 
 combat child exploitation.
 ``

    (3) Goals and strategic solutions to prevent and 
 interdict child exploitation, including--
 ``
        (A) plans for interagency coordination;
 ``
        (B) engagement with the judicial branches of the 
 Federal Government and State governments;
 ``
            (C) legislative recommendations for combating 
 child exploitation;
 ``
            (D) cooperation with international, State, local, 
 and Tribal law enforcement agencies; and
 ``
        (E) engagement with the private sector and other 
 entities involved in efforts to combat child 
 exploitation.
 ``

    (4) An analysis of Federal efforts dedicated to combating 
 child exploitation, including--
 ``
        (A) a review of the policies and work of the 
 Department of Justice and other Federal programs 
 relating to the prevention and interdiction of child 
 exploitation crimes, including training programs, and 
 investigative and prosecution activity; and
 ``
        (B) a description of the efforts of the 
 Department of Justice to cooperate and coordinate with, 
 and provide technical assistance and support to, 
 international, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement 
 agencies and private sector and nonprofit entities with 
 respect to child exploitation prevention and 
 interdiction efforts.
 ``

    (5) An estimate of the resources required to effectively 
 respond to child exploitation crimes at scale by--
 ``
        (A) each ICAC task force;
 ``
        (B) the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
 including investigators, forensic interviewers, and 
 analysts of victims, witnesses, and forensics;
 ``
            (C) Homeland Security Investigations, including 
 forensic interviewers and analysts of victims, 
 witnesses, and forensics;
 ``
            (D) the United States Marshals Service;
 ``
        (E) the United States Secret Service;
 ``
        (F) the United States Postal Service;
 ``
        (G) the criminal investigative offices of the 
 Department of Defense; and
 ``
        (H) any component of an agency described in this 
 paragraph;
 ``

    (6) A review of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task 
 Force Program, including--
 ``
        (A) the number of ICAC task forces and the 
 location of each ICAC task force;
 ``
        (B) the number of trained personnel at each ICAC 
 task force;
 ``
            (C) the amount of Federal grants awarded to each 
 ICAC task force; and
 ``
            (D) an assessment of the Federal, State, and 
 local cooperation with respect to each ICAC task force, 
 including--
 ``
            (i) the number of arrests made by each 
 ICAC task force;
 ``
            (ii) the number of criminal referrals to 
 United States attorneys for prosecution;
 ``
            (iii) the number of prosecutions and 
 convictions from the referrals described in 
 clause
            (ii) ;
 ``
            (iv) the number, if available, of local 
 prosecutions and convictions based on ICAC task 
 force investigations; and
 ``
            (v) any other information determined by 
 the Attorney General demonstrating the level of 
 Federal, State, Tribal, and local coordination 
 and cooperation.
 ``

    (7) An assessment of training needs for each ICAC task 
 force and affiliated agencies.
 ``

    (8) An assessment of Federal investigative and 
 prosecution activity relating to reported incidents of child 
 exploitation crimes that include a number of factors, 
 including--
 ``
        (A) the number of investigations, arrests, 
 prosecutions and convictions for a crime of child 
 exploitation; and
 ``
        (B) the average sentence imposed and the 
 statutory maximum sentence that could be imposed for 
 each crime of child exploitation.
 ``

    (9) A review of all available statistical data indicating 
 the overall magnitude of child pornography trafficking in the 
 United States and internationally, including--
 ``
        (A) the number of foreign and domestic suspects 
 observed engaging in accessing and sharing child 
 pornography;
 ``
        (B) the number of tips or other statistical data 
 from the CyberTipline of the National Center for 
 Missing and Exploited Children and other data 
 indicating the magnitude of child pornography 
 trafficking; and
 ``
            (C) any other statistical data indicating the 
 type, nature, and extent of child exploitation crime in 
 the United States and abroad.''.

    (b) Establishment of National ICAC Task Force Program.--

Section 102 
of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21112) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a)

    (1) --
        (A) by inserting ``, Tribal, military,'' after 
 ``State''; and
        (B) by striking ``and child obscenity and 
 pornography cases'' and inserting ``child obscenity and 
 pornography cases, and the identification of child 
 victims'';

    (2) in subsection

    (b) --
        (A) in paragraph

    (2) , by striking ``consult with 
 and consider'' and all that follows through ``track 
 record of success.'' and inserting ``, evaluate the 
 task forces funded under the ICAC Task Force Program to 
 determine if those task forces are operating in an 
 effective manner.'';
        (B) in paragraph

    (3)
        (B) --
            (i) by striking ``establish a new task 
 force'' and inserting ``establish a new or 
 continue an existing task force''; and
            (ii) by striking ``state'' and inserting 
 ``State''; and
            (C) in paragraph

    (4) --
            (i) in subparagraph
        (A) , by striking 
 ``may'' and inserting ``shall'';
            (ii) by striking subparagraph
        (B) ; and
            (iii) by redesignating subparagraph
            (C) as 
 subparagraph
        (B) ; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (c) Limited Liability for ICAC Task Forces.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph

    (2) , a 
 civil claim or criminal charge against an ICAC task force 
 established pursuant to this section and sections 103 and 104, 
 including any law enforcement agency that participates on such 
 a task force or a director, officer, employee, or agent of such 
 a law enforcement agency, arising from the prioritization 
 decisions with respect to leads related to internet crimes 
 against children described in 

section 104

    (8) , may not be 
 brought in any Federal or State court.
 ``

    (2) Intentional, reckless, or other misconduct.--
 Paragraph

    (1) shall not apply to a claim if the ICAC task force 
 or law enforcement agency, or a director, officer, employee, or 
 agent of that law enforcement agency--
 ``
        (A) engaged in intentional misconduct; or
 ``
        (B) acted, or failed to act--
 ``
            (i) with actual malice;
 ``
            (ii) with reckless disregard to a 
 substantial risk of causing physical injury 
 without legal justification; or
 ``
            (iii) for a purpose unrelated to the 
 performance of any responsibility or function 
 under 

section 104

    (8) .''.
            (c) Purpose of ICAC Task Forces.--

Section 103 of the PROTECT Our 
Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21113) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1) , by inserting ``, and the 
 identification of child victims of those crimes'' before the 
 semicolon at the end;

    (2) in paragraph

    (2) , by inserting ``and prioritizing 
 investigations that task force personnel, through the 
 background, training and experience of those personnel and the 
 consideration of all relevant circumstances, determine to be 
 most likely to result in positive case outcomes and in the 
 rescue of children'' before the semicolon at the end;

    (3) in paragraph

    (3) --
        (A) by striking ``and local law enforcement'' and 
 inserting ``Tribal, military, and local law 
 enforcement''; and
        (B) by inserting ``, including probation and parole 
 agencies, child advocacy centers, and child protective 
 services,'' after ``agencies'';

    (4) in paragraph

    (8) , by striking ``and'' at the end;

    (5) in paragraph

    (9) , by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting ``; and''; and

    (6) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (10) educating the judiciary on--
 ``
        (A) the link between intrafamilial contact 
 offenses and technology-facilitated crimes; and
 ``
        (B) characteristics of internet offenders, 
 including the interest of online offenders in incest-
 themed material, sadism, and other related paraphilias 
 or illegal activity.''.
            (d) Duties and Functions of Task Forces.--

Section 104 of the 
PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21114) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (3) --
        (A) by inserting ``reactive and'' before 
 ``proactive'';
        (B) by inserting ``conduct digital'' before 
 ``forensic examinations''; and
            (C) by inserting ``engage in'' before ``effective 
 prosecutions'';

    (2) by striking paragraph

    (8) and inserting the following:
 ``

    (8) investigate, seek prosecution with respect to, and 
 identify child victims from leads relating to Internet crimes 
 against children, including CyberTipline reports, with 
 prioritization determined according to circumstances and by 
 each task force, as described in 

section 102;'';

    (3) by striking paragraph

    (9) ; and

    (4) by redesignating paragraphs

    (10) and

    (11) as paragraphs

    (9) and

    (10) , respectively.

    (e) National Internet Crimes Against Children Data System.--

Section 105 of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21115) is 
amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a) , by striking ``shall establish'' and 
 inserting ``may establish'';

    (2) in subsection

    (b) by striking ``continue and build upon 
 Operation Fairplay developed by the Wyoming Attorney General's 
 office, which has established a secure, dynamic undercover 
 infrastructure that has facilitated'' and inserting 
 ``facilitate''; and

    (3) in subsection

    (g) --
        (A) by striking paragraph

    (3) ;
        (B) by redesignating paragraphs

    (4) through

    (8) as 
 paragraphs

    (3) through

    (7) , respectively; and
            (C) in paragraph

    (7) , as so redesignated, by 
 striking ``1 representative'' and inserting ``2 
 representatives''.

    (f) ICAC Grant Program.--

Section 106 of the PROTECT Our Children 
Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21116) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a) --
        (A) in paragraph

    (2)
        (B)
            (ii) 
            (II) , by striking 
 ``Operation Fairplay,''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (3) --
            (i) by striking subparagraph
        (A) and 
 inserting the following:
 ``
        (A) Not less than 20 percent of the total funds 
 appropriated to carry out this section shall be 
 distributed to support the ICAC Task Force Program 
 through grants to--
 ``
            (i) provide training and technical 
 assistance to members of the ICAC Task Force 
 Program;
 ``
            (ii) maintain, enhance, research, and 
 develop tools and technology to assist members 
 of the ICAC Task Force Program;
 ``
            (iii) provide other support to the ICAC 
 Task Force Program determined by the Attorney 
 General;
 ``
            (iv) conduct research;
 ``
            (v) support the annual National Law 
 Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation of 
 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
 Prevention; and
 ``
            (vi) provide wellness training.''; and

    (2) in subsection
            (d) (1) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (B) --
            (i) in clause
            (ii) , by striking ``and'' at 
 the end;
            (ii) in clause
            (iii) , by striking ``, 
 including'' and all that follows through ``such 
 crime under State law.'' and inserting ``; 
 and''; and
            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (iv) the number of child victims 
 identified.'';
        (B) by striking subparagraph
            (D) ; and
            (C) by redesignating subparagraphs
        (E) through
        (G) as subparagraphs
            (D) through
        (F) , respectively.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--

Section 107

    (a) of the PROTECT 
Our Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21117

    (a) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (9) , by striking ``and'' at the end;

    (2) in paragraph

    (10) , by striking the period at the end 
 and inserting a semicolon; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (11) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
 ``

    (12) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and
 ``

    (13) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.''.

    (h) Additional Regional Computer Forensic Labs.--The PROTECT Our 
Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21101 et seq.) is amended by striking 
title II.
            (i) Reporting Requirements of Providers.--

Section 2258A
            (c) of title 
18, United States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph

    (1) , by inserting ``and all supplemental data included in the report'' 
after ``each report made under subsection

    (a)

    (1) ''.
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