Politiparty
Politiparty

119th Congress Crime and Law Enforcement

S. 539: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025

ReportedMay 20, 2025

  1. Introduced (completed)Feb 12, 2025
  2. Passed Senate (not reached)
  3. Passed House (not reached)
  4. To the President (not reached)
  5. Became law (not reached)

Summary

Introduced in Senate, Feb 12, 2025

PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and updates (1) the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction (National Strategy), and (2) the National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program.

With respect to the National Strategy, current law requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to update the strategy every two years and include 19 specific elements in the strategy (e.g., long-range goals, annual measurable objectives, and future trends). This bill requires DOJ to update the National Strategy every four years. The bill also revises and consolidates the 19 required elements into 9 required elements, including an analysis of current trends and challenges as well as the overall magnitude of the threat of child exploitation.

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The ICAC Task Force Program is a national network of task forces that support state and local efforts to investigate and prosecute the online sexual exploitation of children. This bill requires ICAC task forces to increase the investigative capacity of law enforcement to identify child victims and report the number of child victims identified in their annual reports. The bill also limits the liability of ICAC task forces for civil claims or criminal charges in federal or state court arising from decisions with respect to leads related to internet crimes against children.

Finally, the bill requires the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to provide additional information to law enforcement agencies when it refers a report of online sexual exploitation of children for investigation.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Roll calls

0 votes on this bill

No roll call votes have been held on this bill.

Amendments

0 offered

No amendments were offered to this bill.

Cosponsors

12

Bipartisan support.

Who scored on this bill

26 points earned
  1. 1John Cornyn R-TX SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced, reported3 events+26
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Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.

Other bills by John Cornyn

History

  1. Feb 12, 2025Introduced in the Senate by John Cornyn.
Show the full action history (5 actions)
  1. May 20, 2025Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  2. May 20, 2025Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 80.
  3. May 15, 2025Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  4. Feb 12, 2025Introduced in Senate
  5. Feb 12, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.