Federal bill targets sextortion threats against minors as a standalone crime
Placed on the calendarH.R. 6719Latest action
Sponsor: Laurel M. Lee · Representative · FL
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: James T. Woods Act
119th Congress
Topics: Crime & justice
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 6719 makes it a federal crime to threaten a minor with releasing explicit images to coerce them into creating more.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 6719 creates a new federal crime targeting sextortion: threatening a minor with the release of explicit images unless the child produces or sends more explicit images. Current federal law already bans producing or sharing child sexual exploitation material, but did not clearly cover this specific type of coercive threat as its own offense. This bill closes that legal gap.
Who does it affect?
Children and teenagers targeted by online predators using blackmail tactics are the people most directly affected. Law enforcement agencies that investigate crimes against children gain a more specific legal tool for prosecuting this type of threat.
Why does it matter?
Because threatening to release explicit images of a minor was not previously defined as its own separate federal crime, prosecutors faced a gap in the law when pursuing this specific conduct. Convictions under the new provision carry the same federal penalties that apply to existing child sexual exploitation crimes.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedDec 15, 2025
- House committee
- House vote
- SenateYou are here · Mar 2, 2026
- The president's desk
Right now: it was placed on the , and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 346.