PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
Latest action · Oct 13, 2008 Became Public Law No: 110-401.
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.
- IntroducedJun 28, 2007
- Passed SenateSep 25, 2008
- Passed HouseSep 27, 2008
- To the PresidentOct 2, 2008
- Became lawOct 13, 2008Public Law 110-401
Summary
Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008 or the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 - Title I: National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction - (Sec. 101) Directs the Attorney General to create and implement a National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction. Sets forth the required content of such Strategy, including: (1) comprehensive long-range goals for reducing child exploitation; (2) annual budget priorities and federal efforts for combating child exploitation; (3) a five-year projection for program and budget goals and priorities; (4) a review of the policies and work of the Department of Justice (DOJ) related to the prevention and investigation of child exploitation crimes; (5) a description of DOJ efforts to coordinate with international, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and private entities on child exploitation prevention and interdiction efforts; (6) a review of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Programs; (7) plans for reducing the backlog of forensic analysis for child exploitation cases; (8) a review of federal programs for child exploitation prevention and education; (9) plans for liaisons with the judiciary on matters relating to child exploitation; (10) an assessment of federal investigative and prosecution activity relating to reported incidents of child exploitation crimes; (11) a review of statistical data indicating the overall magnitude of U.S. and international child pornography trafficking; and (12) a review of the cooperation between the private and public sector in combating child exploitation.
Requires the Attorney General to designate a DOJ senior official to coordinate the development of the Strategy.
(Sec. 102) Establishes within 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. Requires the Attorney General to conduct periodic reviews of the effectiveness of each ICAC task force. Authorizes the Attorney General to establish new task forces and establish national training programs to support the mission of ICAC task forces.
(Sec. 103) Sets forth the purposes of the ICAC Task Force Program, including: (1) increasing the investigative capabilities of state and local law enforcement officers in the detection and investigation of child exploitation crimes facilitated by the Internet and the apprehension of offenders; (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 the 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 System (ICAC Data System) to assist the National ICAC Task Force Program and federal, state, local, and tribal agencies investigating and prosecuting child exploitation. Requires the ICAC Data System to develop and maintain a 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 ICAC Data System by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Directs the Attorney General to establish an ICAC Data System Steering Committee to provide guidance to the ICAC System and to assist in the development of strategic plans for the System.
Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2016.
(Sec. 106) Authorizes the Attorney General 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 the development of the ICAC Task Force Program; 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-FY2013.
Title II: Additional Measures to Combat Child Exploitation - 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-FY2013.
Title III: Effective Child Pornography Prosecution - (Sec. 301) Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) the transmission of a live visual depiction of child sexual exploitation; and (2) the distribution of child pornography that is an adapted or modified depiction of an identifiable minor.
Title IV: National Institute of Justice Study of Risk Factors - Requires the National Institute of Justice to: (1) prepare a report on investigative factors that indicate whether a subject of an online child exploitation investigation poses a high risk of harm to children; and (2) submit such report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Authorizes appropriations.
Title V: Securing Adolescents from Online Exploitation - (Sec. 501) Requires electronic communication or remote computing service providers who obtain actual knowledge of violations of child exploitation and pornography laws to: (1) provide contact information to the CyberTipline of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC); and (2) provide information relating to the Internet identity of any individual who appears to have violated a child exploitation or pornography law, including the geographic location of such individual and images of any apparent child pornography.
Requires NCMEC to forward any report of suspected child pornography violations to law enforcement agencies designated by the Attorney General. Allows NCMEC to send such reports to foreign law enforcement agencies designated by the Attorney General.
Imposes civil penalties on service providers who fail to report suspected child exploitation or pornography.
Prohibits law enforcement agencies that receive reports from service providers from disclosing information in such reports except for law enforcement and criminal defense purposes.
Requires service providers to preserve images of child pornography for evidentiary purposes.
Grants service providers and NCMEC limited immunity from civil and criminal liability for reporting information required by this Act, except in cases of intentional misconduct, actual malice or recklessness. Requires service providers and NCMEC to minimize employee access to pornographic images and to destroy such images upon notification from a law enforcement agency.
Authorizes NCMEC to provide images of child pornography reported to its CyberTipline to service providers to enable such providers to stop further transmission of pornographic images of children.
Grants the Attorney General authority to enforce the reporting requirement for electronic communication or remote computing service providers set out by this title.
(Sec. 502) Requires the Attorney General to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the structure established in this Act, privacy safeguards contained in reporting requirements, and information sharing.
Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an audit and report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on: (1) the efforts, activities, and actions of the CyberTipline; (2) recommendations for legislative, administrative, or regulatory changes; and (3) the effectiveness of actions taken by the CyberTipline and the Attorney General to promote efficient use of federal funds and resources to enforce, investigate, or prosecute child pornography crimes.
(Sec. 503) Provides that if any provision of this title is held to be unconstitutional, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the holding.
Cosponsors 60
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 28, 2007 to Sep 25, 2008; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Barbara Boxer | Original | Jun 28, 2007 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Jul 23, 2007 | |
| D-IN | Evan Bayh | Jul 25, 2007 | |
| D-AR | Blanche L. Lincoln | Sep 5, 2007 | |
| D-IL | Barack Obama | Feb 7, 2008 | |
| D-MD | Barbara A. Mikulski | Feb 7, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Feb 7, 2008 | |
| R-UT | Orrin G. Hatch | Feb 7, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Hillary Rodham Clinton | Feb 12, 2008 | |
| D-ND | Byron L. Dorgan | Feb 25, 2008 | |
| R-AK | Lisa Murkowski | Feb 25, 2008 | |
| D-SD | Tim Johnson | Feb 26, 2008 | |
| R-AK | Ted Stevens | Mar 13, 2008 | |
| D-NJ | Frank R. Lautenberg | Apr 7, 2008 | |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Apr 16, 2008 | |
| R-TX | Kay Bailey Hutchison | Apr 22, 2008 | |
| R-MN | Norm Coleman | Jul 14, 2008 | |
| D-PA | Robert P. Casey Jr. | Jul 14, 2008 | |
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Jul 28, 2008 | |
| D-VT | Patrick J. Leahy | Sep 12, 2008 | |
| D-HI | Daniel K. Inouye | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| R-NC | Elizabeth Dole | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| R-WY | John Barrasso | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-WV | John D. Rockefeller IV | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-MA | John F. Kerry | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-CO | Ken Salazar | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-WA | Maria Cantwell | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-MT | Max Baucus | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| R-KS | Pat Roberts | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-WA | Patty Murray | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| D-IA | Tom Harkin | Sep 15, 2008 | |
| R-NE | Chuck Hagel | Sep 16, 2008 | |
| D-MI | Debbie Stabenow | Sep 16, 2008 | |
| D-WI | Herb Kohl | Sep 16, 2008 | |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Sep 16, 2008 | |
| D-DE | Thomas R. Carper | Sep 16, 2008 | |
| D-MI | Carl Levin | Sep 17, 2008 | |
| D-CT | Christopher J. Dodd | Sep 17, 2008 | |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Sep 17, 2008 | |
| R-FL | Mel Martinez | Sep 17, 2008 | |
| R-IN | Richard G. Lugar | Sep 17, 2008 | |
| D-MT | Jon Tester | Sep 18, 2008 | |
| I-CT | Joseph I. Lieberman | Sep 18, 2008 | |
| R-TN | Lamar Alexander | Sep 18, 2008 | |
| D-AR | Mark L. Pryor | Sep 18, 2008 | |
| R-OR | Gordon H. Smith | Sep 22, 2008 | |
| D-VA | Jim Webb | Sep 22, 2008 | |
| R-GA | Johnny Isakson | Sep 22, 2008 | |
| D-LA | Mary L. Landrieu | Sep 22, 2008 | |
| D-NE | Ben Nelson | Sep 23, 2008 | |
| D-FL | Bill Nelson | Sep 23, 2008 | |
| R-TN | Bob Corker | Sep 23, 2008 | |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Sep 23, 2008 | |
| R-GA | Saxby Chambliss | Sep 23, 2008 | |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Sep 23, 2008 | |
| D-ND | Kent Conrad | Sep 24, 2008 | |
| R-LA | David Vitter | Sep 25, 2008 | |
| D-NV | Harry Reid | Sep 25, 2008 | |
| R-ME | Susan M. Collins | Sep 25, 2008 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jun 28, 2007Markup May 15, 2008Reported Jul 7, 2008 |
| Crime and Drugs Subcommittee | Hearings Apr 16, 2008 |
Actions 22
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 13, 2008Signed by President.
- Oct 13, 2008Became Public Law No: 110-401.
- Oct 2, 2008Presented to President.
- Sep 27, 2008Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 27, 2008Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H10241-10251)
In the Congressional Record 7
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.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H10241–H10251Text printed H10242–H10248 | Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-FL, Joe Barton R-TX, John Conyers, Jr. D-MI, Lamar Smith R-TX, Nick Lampson D-TX, Steve Chabot R-OH | Sep 27, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9544–S9548Amendments S9535, S9541, S9544, S9548 | Arlen Specter D-PA (amendment), Barack Obama D-IL (amendment), Ben Nelson D-NE (amendment), Bill Nelson D-FL (amendment), Charles E. Schumer D-NY (amendment), Christopher J. Dodd D-CT (amendment), Chuck Grassley R-IA (amendment), David Vitter R-LA (amendment), George V. Voinovich R-OH (amendment), Gordon H. Smith R-OR (amendment), Harry Reid D-NV (amendment), James M. Inhofe R-OK (amendment), Jeff Sessions R-AL (amendment), John Barrasso R-WY (amendment), John Cornyn R-TX (amendment), John E. Sununu R-NH (amendment), John McCain R-AZ (amendment), John Thune R-SD (amendment), Johnny Isakson R-GA (amendment), Jon Kyl R-AZ (amendment), Jon Tester D-MT (amendment), Joseph R. Biden Jr. D-DE (amendment), Kay Bailey Hutchison R-TX (amendment), Lamar Alexander R-TN (amendment), Lindsey Graham R-SC (amendment), Mark L. Pryor D-AR (amendment), Mel Martinez R-FL (amendment), Michael B. Enzi R-WY (amendment), Mike Crapo R-ID (amendment), Mitch McConnell R-KY (amendment), Orrin G. Hatch R-UT (amendment), Pat Roberts R-KS (amendment), Patty Murray D-WA (amendment), Richard C. Shelby R-AL (amendment), Richard J. Durbin D-IL, Robert F. Bennett R-UT (amendment), Robert P. Casey Jr. D-PA (amendment), Sam Brownback R-KS (amendment), Saxby Chambliss R-GA (amendment), Sherrod Brown D-OH (amendment), Thomas R. Carper D-DE (amendment), Tom Coburn R-OK (amendment), Wayne Allard R-CO (amendment) | Sep 25, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9352 | Tom Coburn R-OK | Sep 24, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9229 | Harry Reid D-NV, Tom Coburn R-OK | Sep 23, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9015 | Lamar Alexander R-TN | Sep 18, 2008 |
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.
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2
- Jun 5, 2008S. 1738, Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2008<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on May 15, 2008</p>
- Jun 5, 2008S. 1738, Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2008Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on May 15, 2008
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 110-607 | CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS FOR PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY152 pages | Judiciary Committee | Apr 16, 2008 |
| Serial No. 110-87 | SEX CRIMES AND THE INTERNET143 pages | Judiciary Committee | Oct 17, 2007 |
CRS reports 5
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 5
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47884 | Identifying Minors Online | Report | Jul 28, 2026 |
| IF12688 | Project Safe Childhood and the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction | Resource | Jun 14, 2024 |
| RL34050 | The Missing and Exploited Children’s (MEC) Program: Background and Policies Archived | Report | Jul 15, 2021 |
| R41878 | Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress Archived | Report | Jan 28, 2015 |
| 98-379 | Statutory Offices of Inspector General: Past and Present Archived | Report | Sep 25, 2008 |
Amendments 2
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 5650 | In the nature of a substitute. | Joseph R. Biden Jr. D-DE | Amendment SA 5650 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
| SA 5651 | To amend the title | Joseph R. Biden Jr. D-DE | Amendment SA 5651 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 519 | SAFE Act of 2007 | Related bill | Feb 7, 2007 |
| HR 3845 | PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007 | Related bill | Nov 15, 2007 |
Titles 10
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill 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 predators.
- Official Titles as Amended by Senate
- A bill to require the Department of Justice to develop and implement a National Strategy Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, 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
- Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Passed House
- PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
- Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology To Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology To Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008
- PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
- Short Titles as Enacted
- PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008
- Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology To Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement.
- Child pornography
- Child sexual abuse
- Computer crimes
- Congress
- Congressional investigations
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Crime prevention
- Criminal investigation
- Criminal justice information
- Customs administration
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Justice
- Economics and Public Finance
- Electronic surveillance
- Executive reorganization
- Families
- Federal advisory bodies
- Federal aid to law enforcement
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Federal law enforcement officers
- Foreign Trade and International Finance
- Government Operations and Politics
- Internet
- Postal service
- Prosecution
- Recruiting of employees
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 1, 2008Enrolled Bill
- Sep 26, 2008Engrossed in Senate
- Jul 7, 2008Reported to Senate
- Jun 28, 2007Introduced in Senate
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.