[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)''.
<all>