# 119-s-539: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025

119-s-539, PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-26).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-539
- As of: 2026-09-26
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-539
- Congress: 119
- Title: PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-02-12
- Sponsor: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 12
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-26

## Summary

**Strengthens the National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program.** It would reauthorize and modernize the PROTECT Our Children Act, require a national strategy every four years, expand covered partners, and update training, data, and grant rules. - Families and children: Prioritizes investigations most likely to rescue victims and requires program reporting to include the number of child victims identified. - Law enforcement and ICAC task forces: Expands covered partners to include Tribal and military law enforcement, mandates proactive digital forensics and prosecution support, requires effectiveness assessments, and creates narrow liability protections for personnel. - Providers and data: Expands provider reporting to include all supplemental data elements and makes the national ICAC data system optional while increasing representation and oversight. *Would authorize $70 million for FY2026, $80 million for FY2027, and $90 million for FY2028, increasing federal spending for ICAC grants and related activities.*

## Cosponsors (12)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL] (R-FL), 2025-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] (R-IA), 2025-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-05-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA), 2025-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-07-29T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More funding and grants for ICAC: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would authorize $70 million for FY2026, $80 million for FY2027, and $90 million for FY2028 for the ICAC program. It would require at least 20% of appropriated ICAC funds go to the ICAC Task Force Program for training, technology, research, wellness, and support for OJJDP traini…
- National child exploitation strategy changes: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require the National Strategy for Child Exploitation every four years instead of every two. The Strategy must analyze trends and technology impacts, set goals and solutions, describe interagency and public-private coordination, and estimate resources needed for each ICAC…
- Legal protections for ICAC prioritization: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would bar most civil and criminal claims against ICAC task forces and participating personnel over prioritization decisions about leads. Exceptions would still allow claims for intentional misconduct, actual malice, gross negligence or reckless disregard for causing physical in…
- More reporting required for providers: cost, medium. If enacted, the bill would require providers who file reports under 18 U.S.C. 2258A to include all supplemental data elements with each report. The change would take effect upon enactment. This would increase reporting and data-handling obligations for online platforms and similar providers.
- New ICAC roles, data, and partnerships: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would expand ICAC task force goals to include identifying child victims and prioritizing investigations likely to lead to rescues. It would add Tribal and military law enforcement plus partners like probation, child advocacy centers, and child protective services. The bill woul…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.

## Sources
- [119-s-539 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/539)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-539 (as of 2026-09-26).