Preventing Child Sex Abuse Act of 2023
This bill amends federal law to strengthen prosecutions for child sex abuse by clarifying key definitions and closing loopholes. It explicitly states that "sexual activity" includes non-contact acts (like webcam interactions), ensuring online abuse can be prosecuted. It also creates a new provision targeting abusers who use connections to organizations (such as charities or missionary groups) to commit abuse, making it a federal crime for officers, employees, or agents of such organizations to engage in illicit sexual conduct through their affiliation. These changes apply to cases involving interstate or international travel, updating the legal standard from "motivating purpose" to "intent" to prosecute abusers more effectively.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2023
Committee Review
Senate Passage
Mar 2023
House Passage
President
Introduced Mar 8, 2023
Last action Mar 9, 2023
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
0
Mar 8, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S722-723; text: CR S722-723)
upper
Mar 8, 2023
Upper · Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S722-723; text: CR S722-723)
upper
Mar 8, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Chuck Grassley
RRepublican
Co
Jon Ossoff
DDemocratic
Co
Raphael G. Warnock
DDemocratic
Co
Todd Young
RRepublican
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