[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S722-S723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PREVENTING CHILD SEX ABUSE ACT OF 2023
Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 724, which is at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 724) to protect children against sexual abuse
and exploitation, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Ms. HASSAN. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third
time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made
and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 724) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 724
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Child Sex Abuse
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
The sense of Congress is the following:
(1) The safety of children should be a top priority for
public officials and communities in the United States.
(2) According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network,
an individual in the United States is sexually assaulted
every 68 seconds. And every 9 minutes, that victim is a
child. Meanwhile, only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators
will end up in prison.
(3) The effects of child sexual abuse can be long-lasting
and affect the victim's mental health.
(4) Victims are more likely than non-victims to experience
the following mental health challenges:
(A) Victims are about 4 times more likely to develop
symptoms of drug abuse.
(B) Victims are about 4 times more likely to experience
post-traumatic stress disorder as adults.
(C) Victims are about 3 times more likely to experience a
major depressive episode as adults.
(5) The criminal justice system should and has acted as an
important line of defense to protect children and hold
perpetrators accountable.
(6) However, the horrific crimes perpetuated by Larry
Nassar demonstrate firsthand the loopholes that still exist
in the criminal justice system. While Larry Nassar was found
guilty of several State-level offenses, he was not charged
federally for his illicit sexual contact with minors, despite
crossing State and international borders to commit this
conduct.
(7) The Department of Justice has also identified a growing
trend of Americans who use charitable or missionary work in a
foreign country as a cover for sexual abuse of children.
(8) It is the intent of Congress to prohibit Americans from
engaging in sexual abuse or exploitation of minors under the
guise of work, including volunteer work, with an organization
that affects interstate or foreign commerce, such as an
international charity.
(9) Federal law does not require that an abuser's intention
to engage in sexual abuse be a primary, significant,
dominant, or motivating purpose of the travel.
(10) Child sexual abuse does not require physical contact
between the abuser and the child. This is especially true as
perpetrators turn increasingly to internet platforms, online
chat rooms, and webcams to commit child sexual abuse.
(11) However, a decision of the United States Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit found the use of a webcam to
engage in sexually provocative activity with a minor did not
qualify as ``sexual activity''.
(12) Congress can address this issue by amending the
definition of the term ``sexual activity'' to clarify that it
does not require interpersonal, physical contact.
(13) It is the duty of Congress to provide clearer guidance
to ensure that those who commit crimes against children are
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
SEC. 3. INTERSTATE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.
Section 2423 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``with a motivating
purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with
another person'' and inserting ``with intent to engage in any
illicit sexual conduct with another person'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) as
subsections (e), (f), (g), and (i), respectively;
(3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by striking
``with a motivating purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual
conduct'' and inserting ``with intent to engage in any
illicit sexual conduct''; and
(4) by inserting after subsection (g), as so redesignated,
the following:
``(h) Rule of Construction.--As used in this section, the
term `intent' shall be construed as any intention to engage
in illicit sexual conduct at the time of the travel.''.
SEC. 4. ABUSE UNDER THE GUISE OF CHARITY.
Section 2423 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by
section 3 of this Act, is amended--
(1) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
[[Page S723]]
``(d) Illicit Sexual Conduct in Connection With Certain
Organizations.--Any citizen of the United States or alien
admitted for permanent residence who--
``(1) is an officer, director, employee, or agent of an
organization that affects interstate or foreign commerce;
``(2) makes use of the mails or any means or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce through the
connection or affiliation of the person with such
organization; and
``(3) commits an act in furtherance of illicit sexual
conduct through the connection or affiliation of the person
with such organization,
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than
30 years, or both.'';
(2) in subsection (f), as so redesignated, by striking ``or
(d)'' and inserting ``(d), or (e)''; and
(3) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by striking
``(f)(2)'' and inserting ``(g)(2)''.
SEC. 5. SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH MINORS.
Section 2427 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
inserting ``does not require interpersonal physical contact,
and'' before ``includes''.
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