KAYLEIGH'S LAW ACT OF 2026

On 2026-08-31, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) delivered a floor speech titled "KAYLEIGH'S LAW ACT OF 2026" in the House.

KAYLEIGH'S LAW ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 137 (Monday, August 31, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 137 (Monday, August 31, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5270-H5272] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] KAYLEIGH'S LAW ACT OF 2026 Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8481) to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of natural lifetime injunctions for certain victims, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 8481 A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of natural lifetime injunctions for certain victims. 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 ``Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. NATURAL LIFETIME INJUNCTIONS. (a) In General.--Chapter 238 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 3773. Natural lifetime injunctions ``(a) In General.--In the case of any defendant convicted of a covered offense, the court shall, on motion of the Government (with the consent of a victim) or a victim, issue, at the time of sentencing, an order prohibiting contact with a victim. Such order shall remain in effect for the life of the defendant, subject to subsection (b). The imposition of such order shall be included in and served on the defendant during any sentencing proceeding. A violation of such order shall be punishable as a contempt of court. ``(b) Termination of Injunction.-- ``(1) In general.--An order issued under subsection (a) may be terminated or suspended only-- ``(A) on motion of the victim to whom such order pertains, alleging-- ``(i) that the conviction was the subject of a pardon or commutation; or ``(ii) a change in circumstances; or ``(B) on motion of the defendant, alleging that the conviction was dismissed or overturned on appeal. ``(2) Hearing.--The court shall order a hearing on such motion, and may take evidence regarding the allegations included therein. ``(c) No Fee.--No fee may be assessed or collected from a victim in connection with the issuance of an order under subsection (a). ``(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section: ``(1) The term `covered offense'-- ``(A) means-- ``(i) a crime of violence (as such term is defined in section 16(a)) that is a felony under Federal law; or ``(ii) an offense that includes as an element a sexual act or sexual conduct (as defined in section 2246) that is a felony under Federal law; and ``(B) includes an offense under-- ``(i) section 1591; ``(ii) section 2241; ``(iii) section 2242; ``(iv) section 2243; ``(v) section 2244; ``(vi) section 2245; ``(vii) section 2251; [[Page H5271]] ``(viii) section 2251A; ``(ix) section 2252; ``(x) section 2252A; ``(xi) section 2260; ``(xii) section 2261A; ``(xiii) section 2421; ``(xiv) section 2422; ``(xv) section 2423; or ``(xvi) section 2425. ``(2) The term `contact' means any direct or indirect communication, transmission, or physical interaction between two or more persons, including communication or interaction by written, oral, electronic, digital, or physical means, whether initiated personally, through an intermediary, or by automated or technological systems. ``(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the application of an order under this section within the jurisdiction of any State.''. (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following: ``3773. Natural lifetime injunctions.''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida. General Leave Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 8481. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Florida? There was no objection. Ms. LEE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8481, the Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026, is about ensuring that victims of some of the most serious crimes do not have to live with the constant fear that their offender may one day contact them again. Even when a criminal is sentenced to lifetime probation, opportunities may still exist for an offender's supervision to be terminated, preventing offenders from being fully accountable to both their victims and society. This was all brought into focus by one brave survivor-advocate and Arizona native, Kayleigh Kozak. After learning that her abuser was attempting to terminate his probation, Kayleigh sought a protective order against the man who abused her as a child. However, she was shocked to learn that the court required evidence of a recent encounter between Kayleigh and this man to consider a protective order, effectively denying her request to keep herself safe and free from future contact. Thanks in large part to Kayleigh's advocacy, the Arizona Legislature changed State law to provide for lifetime protection orders. Wisconsin soon followed. Other States, including Texas and Virginia, also provide certain forms of long-term or lifetime protective orders. When the Judiciary Committee held our hearing on this legislation in April, we were honored to hear from Kayleigh herself as she shared her experience and her path toward advocacy. We are equally honored that she joins us today in the gallery of the House of Representatives. This legislation applies the same principles enacted at the State level to Federal offenders and their victims. Victims should not have to return to court repeatedly to face their offenders simply to extend a protective order. They should not have to wait until their offender attempts to contact them before they can petition the court for lifetime protection. Restraining orders or protective orders often last for only a limited period of time, retraumatizing victims who must once again go through the court system to seek ongoing protection. The possibility of future contact can undermine a survivor's sense of safety and make it harder to move forward. This bill provides a straightforward and commonsense solution by authorizing lifetime no-contact orders for offenders convicted of serious Federal violent, sexual, trafficking, and child exploitation offenses. Under this legislation, offenders may be permanently barred from contacting their victims unless the conviction is later invalidated or pardoned. The bill is rooted in a simple principle: Victims deserve lasting protection, and offenders who have committed these heinous acts should not have the ability to reinsert themselves into the lives of those they have harmed. Ultimately, this bill is victim-centered and prioritizes public safety. Kayleigh's Law Act helps ensure that our criminal justice system works for victims and not against them. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members not to refer to persons in the gallery. Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to strengthen protection for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026 would require Federal courts to issue lifetime no-contact orders against defendants who are convicted of certain offenses, including child sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, stalking, and sexual abuse, upon request or consent of a victim but independent of the criminal case. Hundreds of thousands of people live under conditions of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and other kinds of sexual abuse, and this legislation will help many of them escape that trap and turn their lives around. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, an average of 24 people every single minute become victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. That is more than 12 million American women and men every single year. Nationwide, more than one in five women have been raped or subjected to attempted rape, and 60 percent of the rapes are committed by someone they know, a number that increases dramatically for minor victims, going up to 93 percent who actually knew their abuser. The lives of survivors of sexual and domestic violence can be radically altered even long after the abuse has ended, and many suffer from a wide range of chronic physical, mental, and professional problems. They pay a heavy price financially for medical and therapeutic treatment, lost work, and legal expenses. The weight of these burdens is even greater for survivors who have fewer resources and smaller networks to draw upon. In recent years, some States have passed laws to strengthen protections, often thanks to the advocacy of survivors themselves, like Kayleigh Kozak, who was abused by her soccer coach beginning when she was only 12 years old. Because of her undaunted advocacy in her home State of Arizona, survivors of sex crimes and other violent crimes may now petition the court in their State for a permanent order of protection against their abusers, totally separate and apart from the criminal case. Other States have enacted similar laws. I am proud to say that my State, Maryland, is one of them. These laws empower victims and survivors to feel a lot safer and to move forward with their lives. It is wonderful that we are advancing a version of the Kayleigh's Law Act that will allow Federal courts to issue no-contact orders to victims and survivors of the worst offenses. I am pleased we were able to work together in committee on a b

Referenced legislation: HR8481, HR8481