REPORT Act
Public Law 118-59 · S. 474 · 118th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on May 7, 2024 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Jon Ossoff, Sen. Mike Lee,
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.
This act makes changes to the federal framework governing the reporting of crimes involving the online sexual exploitation of children.
Specifically, the act makes changes to the requirements for electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers (providers) to submit reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) when they become aware of violations involving the online sexual exploitation of children.
Among the changes, the act (1) increases the amount of time—from 90 days to 1 year—that a provider must preserve the contents of a report, and (2) extends the requirement for providers to report apparent violations involving the sexual exploitation of children to instances involving child sex trafficking or coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution or any other illegal sexual activity.
Additionally, the act increases the maximum fines for providers who knowingly and willfully fail to submit reports.
The act also (1) limits the liability of vendors that contract with NCMEC for civil claims or criminal charges arising from storing and transferring visual depictions of child sexual abuse material (i.e., child pornography), and (2) requires the vendors to comply with certain cybersecurity requirements.
Finally, the act limits the liability of minors, or persons acting on behalf of minors, for civil claims or criminal charges arising from reporting to NCMEC's CyberTipline apparent violations involving child sexual abuse material in which the child is depicted, including a copy of the visual depiction of the minor.
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
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
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. 19 actions.
- May 7, 2024Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-59.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 1, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Apr 29, 2024FloorFloor · 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 · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 474.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Lee (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 19, 2023FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Dec 18, 2023FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 14, 2023FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (CR S6007)
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jun 6, 2023CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 85.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Durbin with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Jun 1, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Feb 16, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 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.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1377SenateSen. Marsha BlackburnR-TN· offered Dec 14, 2023Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 14, 2023: Amendment SA 1377 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.