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Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018

Public Law 115-424 · S. 2961 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 7, 2019 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Cosponsors (21): Sen. Christopher Coons,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 388 yea, 2 nay388–2
  • 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.

Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018

(Sec. 2) This bill reauthorizes for FY2019-FY2023 grants for local and regional children's advocacy centers (CACs), as well as for technical assistance and training. CACs coordinate a multidisciplinary response to child abuse.

The bill adds a new finding specifying the need for state chapters of CAC networks (1) to help local communities coordinate their multidisciplinary services, and (2) to provide oversight of, and training and technical assistance in, the effective delivery of evidence-informed programming.

It modifies grants for regional CACs, including

• to add, as a new program objective, collaboration with state chapters; and

• to require regional CACs to assist local CACs, multidisciplinary teams, and state chapters, in addition to communities.

It also modifies grants for local CACs, including

• to add, as a new grant purpose, promoting the effective delivery of the evidence-informed Children's Advocacy Model and the multidisciplinary response to child abuse;

• to allow grants to support direct services for victims of human trafficking, in addition to victims of child pornography; and

• to require a portion of grants to be distributed to state chapters.

The Department of Justice must report annually on efforts to monitor and evaluate the program activities of regional CACs and the extent to which both urban and rural populations are served by the regional CAC program.

(Sec. 3) The bill provides immunity from civil and criminal liability under federal, state, and local law for people who make good-faith reports of child abuse or neglect or who provide related information or assistance.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 388 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

388 yea2 nay42 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(175)

Republicans who voted yea(213)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1160 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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. 5955Identical bill

    Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018

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. 22 actions.

  1. Jan 7, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-424.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 27, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 20, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 388 - 2 (Roll no. 453).House roll call 453
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2961.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Collins (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Dec 12, 2018FloorFloor · By Senator Grassley from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 115-432.
  12. FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  15. Dec 11, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  16. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  17. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  18. Sep 18, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 581.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  20. Sep 13, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  21. May 24, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  22. 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

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4074SenateSen. Roy BluntR-MO· offered Dec 11, 2018Agreed to

    To adjust the authorization of appropriations.

    Dec 11, 2018: Amendment SA 4074 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    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.