HR 3845 · 110th Congress 2007–2009, ended

PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007

Latest action · Nov 15, 2007 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedOct 16, 2007
  2. Passed HouseNov 14, 2007
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2007 or the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007 - Title I: Special Counsel For Child Exploitation Prevention And Interdiction - (Sec. 101) Directs the Attorney General to appoint a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. Sets forth the duties of the Special Counsel, including: (1) coordination of the policies and strategies of the Department of Justice (DOJ) related to the prevention and investigation of child exploitation cases; (2) coordination with other federal agencies, including the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to combat child exploitation crimes; (3) coordination and oversight of the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program and the National Internet Crimes Against Children Data Network Center established by this Act; (4) providing training and technical assistance for law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation crimes; and (5) developing and overseeing research programs for child exploitation prevention.

(Sec. 102) Establishes with DOJ a National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)Task Force Program consisting of state and local task forces (including at least one ICAC Task Force for each state) to address online enticement of children, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography cases.

(Sec. 103) Sets forth the purposes of the Program, including: (1) increasing the investigative capabilities of state and local law enforcement officers in the detection, investigation, and apprehension of child exploitation crimes facilitated by the Internet; (2) providing training and technical assistance to ICAC task forces and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; (3) increasing the number of Internet crimes against children offenses to be investigated and prosecuted; (4) enhancing nationwide response to Internet crimes against children offenses; and (5) developing and delivering Internet crimes against children public awareness and prevention programs.

(Sec. 104) Sets forth the duties and functions of state and local ICAC task forces relating to investigations, forensic examinations, and prosecutions of Internet crimes against children,

(Sec. 105) Directs the Attorney General to establish a National Internet Crimes Against Children Data Network Center to assist the National ICAC Task Force Program and federal, state, local, and tribal agencies investigating and prosecuting child exploitation. Requires the Center to develop and maintain an technology and training program to provide: (1) a secure system of online communications between ICAC task forces and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies regarding ongoing investigations; (2) a secure online system for resolving case conflicts; (3) a secure data storage and analysis system; and (4) guidelines and technical assistance for the use of the Center by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Directs the Attorney General to establish an ICAC Data Network Center Steering Committee.

Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2016.

(Sec. 106) Authorizes the Office of Justice Programs to award grants to state and local ICAC task forces. Sets forth criteria for the distribution of ICAC grants funds.

Requires state or local ICAC task forces receiving grants to submit annual reports to the Attorney General on the operations of such task forces.

Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on: (1) the progress of ICAC task forces; and (2) the number of federal and state investigations, prosecutions, and convictions in the prior 12-month period related to child exploitation.

(Sec. 107) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2016.

Title II: Additional Measures to Combat Child Exploitation - (Sec. 201) Requires the Attorney General to: (1) establish additional computer forensic capacity to address the current backlog for computer forensics, including for child exploitation investigations; and (2) report to Congress annually on the use of funds for such purpose. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2016.

(Sec. 202) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2016 for the hiring of additional Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and personnel to work solely on child exploitation cases as part of the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative.

(Sec. 203) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2006 for the hiring of additional full-time personnel in the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Postal Service to work solely on child exploitation and child obscenity cases.

(Sec. 205) Requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Postmaster General, to report annually to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the resources used by federal agencies to investigate and prosecute child exploitation and child obscenity cases.

Recorded votes 1

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 1091Passed415–2Nov 14, 2007

Cosponsors 38

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 16, 2007 to Nov 6, 2007; 29 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CAAdam B. SchiffOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-OHBetty SuttonOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-INBrad EllsworthOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-MDC. A. Dutch RuppersbergerOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-TXChet EdwardsOriginalOct 16, 2007
R-CTChristopher ShaysOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-KSDennis MooreOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-CODiana DeGetteOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-NDEarl PomeroyOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-CAEllen O. TauscherOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-AZGabrielle GiffordsOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-NCHeath ShulerOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-MNJames L. OberstarOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-NYJerrold NadlerOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-CAJerry McNerneyOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-UTJim MathesonOriginalOct 16, 2007
R-TXJoe BartonOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-ILMelissa L. BeanOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-NYMichael A. ArcuriOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-PAPatrick J. MurphyOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-ILRahm EmanuelOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-FLRon KleinOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-GASanford D. Bishop, Jr.OriginalOct 16, 2007
D-TXSheila Jackson LeeOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-TXSolomon P. OrtizOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-NYSteve IsraelOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-METhomas H. AllenOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-NYTimothy H. BishopOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-OHZachary T. SpaceOriginalOct 16, 2007
D-INBaron P. HillOct 25, 2007
D-MDChris Van HollenOct 25, 2007
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.Oct 25, 2007
D-GAJohn LewisOct 25, 2007
D-GUMadeleine Z. BordalloOct 25, 2007
D-NVShelley BerkleyOct 25, 2007
R-TXMichael T. McCaulOct 30, 2007
D-WISteve KagenOct 30, 2007
R-PAJim GerlachNov 6, 2007

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Oct 16, 2007
Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Referred Nov 2, 2007
SenateJudiciary Committee
Referred Nov 15, 2007

Actions 11

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Nov 15, 2007Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  2. Nov 14, 2007Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H13884-13885)
  3. Nov 14, 2007Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 415 - 2 (Roll no. 1091). (text: CR 11/13/007 H13582-13585)
  4. Nov 14, 2007Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Nov 13, 2007Ms. Wasserman Schultz moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

In the Congressional Record 5

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S8984Bernard Sanders I-VT, Sam Brownback R-KSSep 18, 2008
HouseDebate and remarks H14189Sheila Jackson Lee D-TXDec 5, 2007
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E2453Heath Shuler D-NCNov 15, 2007
HouseRecorded votes H13884enact—Nov 14, 2007
HouseDebate and remarks H13577, H13582–H13589Text printed H13582–H13585Bob Goodlatte R-VA, Christopher Shays R-CT, Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-FL, Joe Barton R-TX, John Conyers, Jr. D-MI, Louie Gohmert R-TX, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TXNov 13, 2007

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
Serial No. 110-87SEX CRIMES AND THE INTERNET143 pagesJudiciary CommitteeOct 17, 2007

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 1738PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008Related billOct 13, 2008
S 2237Crime Control and Prevention Act of 2007Related billOct 25, 2007

Titles 5

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To establish a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute child predators.
Short Titles as Introduced
Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2007
PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007
Short Titles as Passed House
PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007
Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2007

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.

Text 3

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Nov 15, 2007Referred in Senate
  2. Nov 14, 2007Engrossed in House
  3. Oct 16, 2007Introduced in House

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.