H.R. 6063: Child Protection Act of 2012
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H.R. 6063: Child Protection Act of 2012
112th Congress · introduced 2012-06-29 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Became Public Law No: 112-206.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2012-06-29 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 112-206. (final step reached)
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Child Protection Act of 2012
Plain summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on August 1, 2012. The summary of that version is repeated here.) 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.
Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Child Protection Act of 2012
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The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] · 40 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Mark E. Amodei (R-NV), Mike Quigley (D-IL), André Carson (D-IN), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (2)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
- Authorization
- A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr6063.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>
Record fed-us-cong112-hr6063 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112