119-hr2735

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2735 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2735

To amend title 18, United States Code, to modify provisions relating to 
 kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual conduct with respect to 
 minors.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 8, 2025

 Mr. Nehls (for himself, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis of North 
 Carolina, Mr. Moore of Alabama, and Mr. Tiffany) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to modify provisions relating to 
 kidnapping, sexual abuse, and illicit sexual conduct with respect to 
 minors.

 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 ``Strengthening Child Exploitation 
Enforcement Act''.

SEC. 2. KIDNAPPING; SEXUAL ABUSE; ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT WITH RESPECT 
 TO MINORS.

    (a) In General.--Part I of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--

    (1) in 

section 1201--
        (A) in subsection

    (a) , in the matter preceding 
 paragraph

    (1) , by inserting ``obtains by defrauding or 
 deceiving any person,'' after ``abducts,'';
        (B) in subsection

    (b) , by inserting ``obtained by 
 defrauding or deceiving any person,'' after 
 ``abducted,''; and
            (C) in subsection

    (g) , by adding at the end the 
 following:
 ``

    (2) Defense.--For an offense described in this subsection 
 involving a victim who has not attained the age of 16 years, it 
 is not a defense that the victim consented to the conduct of 
 the offender, unless the offender can establish by a 
 preponderance of the evidence that the offender reasonably 
 believed that the victim had attained the age of 16 years.'';

    (2) in chapter 109A--
        (A) in 

section 2241
            (c) , by striking ``crosses a 
 State line'' and inserting ``travels in interstate or 
 foreign commerce'';
        (B) in 

section 2242

    (3) , by striking ``, to include 
 doing so'' and inserting ``or'';
            (C) in 

section 2243, by adding at the end the 
 following:
 ``

    (f) Intentional Touching Involving Individuals Under the Age of 
16.--
 ``

    (1) Offense.--It shall be unlawful, in the special 
 maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or 
 in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility 
 in which persons are held in custody by direction of or 
 pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any 
 Federal department or agency, to knowingly cause the 
 intentional touching, not through the clothing, of the 
 genitalia of any person by a person who has not attained the 
 age of 16 years, with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, 
 degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, 
 or attempt to do so, if to do so would violate subsection

    (a) ,

    (b) , or
            (c) of this section, 

section 2241, or 

section 2242 had 
 such intentional touching been a sexual act.
 ``

    (2) Penalty.--Any person who violates paragraph

    (1) shall 
 be fined under this title, imprisoned as provided in the 
 applicable provision of law described in that paragraph, or 
 both.''; and
            (D) in 

section 2244--
            (i) in subsection

    (a) --
            (I) by redesignating paragraphs

    (1) through

    (6) as subparagraphs
        (A) through
        (F) , respectively, and 
 adjusting the margins accordingly;
            (II) by striking ``Whoever'' and 
 inserting the following:
 ``

    (1) In general.--Whoever'';
            (III) in paragraph

    (1) , as so 
 designated--

    (aa) in the matter 
 preceding subparagraph
        (A) , as 
 so redesignated, by striking 
 ``if so to do'' and inserting 
 ``if to do so'';

    (bb) in subparagraph
        (A) , 
 as so redesignated, by striking 
 ``ten'' and inserting ``10'';
            (cc) in subparagraph
        (B) , 
 as so redesignated, by striking 
 ``three'' and inserting ``3'';
            (dd) in subparagraph
            (C) , 
 as so redesignated, by striking 
 ``two'' and inserting ``2'';

    (ee) in subparagraph
            (D) , 
 as so redesignated, by striking 
 ``two'' and inserting ``2''; 
 and

    (ff) in subparagraph
        (F) , 
 as so redesignated, by striking 
 the semicolon at the end and 
 inserting a period; and
            (IV) by adding at the end the 
 following:
 ``

    (2) Attempt.--Whoever attempts to commit an offense under 
 paragraph

    (1) shall be subject to the same penalty as for a 
 completed offense.'';
            (ii) in subsection

    (b) --
            (I) by inserting ``or causes'' 
 after ``engages in'';
            (II) by inserting ``or by'' after 
 ``sexual contact with'';
            (III) by inserting ``, or attempts 
 to do so,'' after ``other person's 
 permission''; and
            (IV) by striking ``two'' and 
 inserting ``2''; and
            (iii) in subsection
            (c) , by striking ``If 
 the sexual contact that violates this section 
 (other than subsection

    (a)

    (5) ) is with an 
 individual'' and inserting ``If the sexual 
 contact or attempted sexual contact that a 
 person engages in or causes in violation of 
 this section (other than subsection

    (a)

    (1)
        (E) ) 
 is with or by an individual''; and

    (3) in 

section 2423

    (f)

    (1) --
        (A) by striking ``a sexual act (as defined in 
 

section 2246) with'' and inserting ``any conduct 
 involving''; and
        (B) by striking ``sexual act occurred'' and 
 inserting ``conduct occurred''.

    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment to 

section 2241
            (c) of title 18, 
United States Code, made by subsection

    (a) shall apply to conduct that 
occurred before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS RELATING TO ABUSIVE SEXUAL CONTACT.

    (a) Penalties for Civil Rights Offenses Involving Sexual 
Misconduct.--

Section 250

    (b) of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (2) , by striking ``

section 2244

    (a)

    (5) ,'' 
 and inserting ``

section 2244

    (a)

    (1)
        (E) , or an attempt to engage 
 in or cause such contact as prohibited by 

section 2244

    (a)

    (2) ,'';

    (2) in paragraph

    (4) , in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``subsection

    (a)

    (1) or

    (b) of 

section 2244, 
 but excluding abusive sexual contact through the clothing'' and 
 inserting ``

section 2244

    (a)

    (1)
        (A) , an attempt to engage in or 
 cause such contact as prohibited by 

section 2244

    (a)

    (2) , or 
 abusive sexual contact of the type prohibited by 

section 2244

    (b) , but excluding abusive sexual contact through the 
 clothing or an attempt to engage in or cause such contact'';

    (3) in paragraph

    (5) , in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``

section 2244

    (a)

    (2) '' and inserting ``

section 2244

    (a)

    (1)
        (B) or an attempt to engage in or cause such contact 
 as prohibited by 

section 2244

    (a)

    (2) ''; and

    (4) in paragraph

    (6) , in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``subsection

    (a)

    (3) ,

    (a)

    (4) , or

    (b) of 

section 2244'' and inserting ``subparagraph
            (C) or
            (D) of 

section 2244

    (a)

    (1) , an attempt to engage in or cause such contact as 
 prohibited by 

section 2244

    (a)

    (2) , or abusive sexual contact of 
 the type prohibited by 

section 2244

    (b) ''.

    (b) Sentencing Classification of Offenses.--

Section 3559 of title 
18, United States Code, is amended--

    (1) in subsection
            (c) (2)
        (F)
            (i) , by striking ``sections 
 2244

    (a)

    (1) and

    (a)

    (2) '' and inserting ``subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) of 

section 2244

    (a)

    (1) ''; and

    (2) in subsection

    (e)

    (2)
        (A) , by striking ``2244

    (a)

    (1) '' and 
 inserting ``2244

    (a)

    (1)
        (A) ''.
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