H.R. 2735 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on the Judiciary, Apr 8, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStrengthens laws against child sexual abuse
This bill tightens federal criminal laws aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. It changes the kidnapping law to make clear that tricking someone into giving up a child counts as kidnapping, and removes the defense that a child under 16 consented to being taken. It also expands laws against child sexual abuse to cover crossing international borders (not just state lines), includes more forms of harmful contact in the definition of abuse, and makes attempting abuse a crime with the same penalties as actually committing it.
How it affects you
If you're a parent or guardian, this bill aims to strengthen protections for children under federal law and give prosecutors more tools to pursue people who exploit children. If you work in law enforcement or child protection, you'd have clearer definitions and broader authority to investigate and prosecute these crimes across state and international lines.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Apr 8, 2025)
Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act
This bill makes changes to federal criminal laws related to various offenses, particularly sexual abuse offenses against minors.
The bill revises the federal kidnapping statute by specifying that obtaining a victim by defrauding or deceiving a third party constitutes the offense of kidnapping. Additionally, for a kidnapping offense that involves a victim who has not attained the age of 16, the bill specifies that it is not a defense that the victim consented to the conduct of the offender, unless the offender establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the offender reasonably believed that the victim had attained the age of 16.
The bill also revises statutes related to sexual abuse offenses against minors to specify the following:
• that crossing international lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child who has not attained the age of 12 constitutes aggravated sexual abuse (currently, the statute only references crossing state lines),
• that the offense of sexual abuse of a minor also includes knowingly causing the intentional touching of any person by a person who has not attained the age of 16, and
• that attempting to commit abusive sexual contact is also a crime that is subject to the same penalty as the completed offense.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2735
A BILL
Strengthening Child Exploitation Enforcement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) · Introduced Apr 8, 2025 · Crime and Law Enforcement · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 8, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.”