Child Protection Act of 2012
Public Law 112-206 · H.R. 6063 · 112th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 7, 2012 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)
Cosponsors (40): Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Howard Coble,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Child Protection Act of 2012 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 20 years for transporting, receiving, distributing, selling, or possessing pornographic images of a child under the age of 12.
Requires a U.S. district court to issue a protective order prohibiting harassment or intimidation of a minor victim or witness if the court finds evidence that the conduct at issue is reasonably likely to adversely affect the willingness of the minor witness or victim to testify or otherwise participate in a federal criminal case or investigation.
Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to ensure that such guidelines provide an additional penalty for sex trafficking of children and other child abuse crimes.
Allows the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service to issue an administrative subpoena for the investigation of unregistered sex offenders by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Amends the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 to: (1) double the amount that the Attorney General may award a non-law enforcement agency entity annually to establish and conduct training courses for National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program task force members and other law enforcement officials, (2) require the Attorney General to designate a senior official at the Department of Justice (DOJ) with experience in investigating or prosecuting child exploitation cases as the National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction to be responsible for coordinating the development of the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, (3) authorize appropriations for carrying out such strategy for FY2014-FY2018, (4) delete a requirement that the National Internet Crimes Against Children Data System identify high-priority suspects based on the volume of suspected criminal activity, and (5) require the Attorney General to report within 90 days after enactment of this Act on the status of the establishment of such System.
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.
Related bills
4 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1981Related bill
Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011
S. 596Related bill
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2011
S. 1308Related bill
Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011
S. 3456Identical bill
Child Protection Act of 2012
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.
- Dec 7, 2012Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-206.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 28, 2012FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 27, 2012FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Nov 26, 2012FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 2, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Aug 1, 2012FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- Jul 31, 2012FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Smith (TX) objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6063.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 459.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 112-638.
- Jul 10, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 29, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.