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KIDS Act of 2008

Public Law 110-400 · S. 431 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 13, 2008 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Cosponsors (20): Sen. John McCain,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2008 or the KIDS Act of 2008 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) require sex offenders to provide to the National Sex Offender Registry all Internet identifiers (i.e., email addresses and other designations used for self-identification or routing in Internet communication or posting) used by such offenders; (2) specify requirements for keeping Internet identifier information current; (3) exempt Internet identifiers provided by a sex offender from public disclosure; and (4) establish procedures to notify sex offenders of changes in requirements for providing Internet identifier information.

Requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain a secure system to allow social networking websites to compare information contained in the National Sex Offender Registry with the Internet identifiers of users of their websites. Allows social networking websites to use such system to conduct searches as frequently as the Attorney General may allow. Authorizes the Attorney General to deny, suspend, or terminate use of the system by a social networking website for misuse.

Prohibits the Attorney General and social networking websites from releasing to the public any list of the Internet identifiers of sex offenders.

Exempts a social networking website from civil claims in federal or state court arising from: (1) use of the National Sex Offender Registry unless such website engages in actual malice, intentional misconduct, or reckless disregard to a substantial risk of causing injury without legal justification; and (2) any decision not to compare its database with the online identifiers contained in the National Sex Offender Registry.

Amends the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 to revise the minimum standards, under a pilot program, for electronic monitoring of sex offenders to eliminate requirements that the tracking device: (1) contain cellular technology in a single unit; and (2) provide two- and three-way voice communication.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 719Identical billRelated bill

    Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2007

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Oct 13, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-400.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 3, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 1, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Sep 30, 2008Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  8. Sep 29, 2008FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  9. Sep 27, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Conyers asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
  13. May 21, 2008FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  14. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  15. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  16. May 20, 2008FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  17. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  18. Apr 28, 2008FloorFloor · By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 110-332.
  19. Apr 22, 2008CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 706.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with amendments. Without written report.
  21. Dec 13, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
  22. Jan 30, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4798SenateSen. Chuck SchumerD-NY· offered May 20, 2008Agreed to

    To improve the bill.

    May 20, 2008: Amendment SA 4798 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to

  • H.Amdt. 1185HouseRep. John ConyersD-MI-14· offered Sep 27, 2008Agreed to

    Amendment inserted a complete new text.

    Sep 27, 2008: On agreeing to the Conyers amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.