Federal RuleAug 21
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DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-s-3704119th Congress
COP Act
Sponsored By: Senator Moody, Ashley [R-FL]
Introduced
Summary
Criminalizes threatening to distribute sexual images to coerce minors. This bill would add a federal offense for knowingly distributing, offering, sending, or providing a threat to distribute visual depictions of minors or persons believed to be minors with the intent that the minor or believed minor create or transmit such depictions, when the threat is made in or affects interstate or foreign commerce.
Show full summary
- Children and families: Would make coercive "threat-to-distribute" tactics a federal crime, covering threats aimed at forcing minors or people the sender believes are minors to produce or send explicit images.
- Law enforcement and prosecutors: Would allow federal charges under 18 U.S.C. §2252 and §2252A for those threats when the communication crosses state or national lines.
- People who make threats: Would add a new paragraph (8) to §2252A(a) and a new paragraph (5) to §2252(a) so these specific threats are explicitly covered by existing child pornography statutes.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New crime for threats to minors' images
If enacted, this bill would create a new federal crime for knowingly sending or offering a threat to distribute sexual images of a minor. The threat must be sent in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce and made with intent that the minor, or a person the sender believes is a minor, create or transmit the image. The bill would add matching offenses to two existing child‑pornography statutes so prosecutors can use current federal tools. Victims, families, and law enforcement would gain a specific federal tool to address these threats.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Moody, Ashley [R-FL]
FL • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov