II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3594 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to hold violent criminals and child 

predators accountable. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8 (legislative day, FEBRUARY 3), 2022 

Ms. ERNST introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to hold violent 

criminals and child predators accountable. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Holding Violent Crimi5 nals and Child Predators Accountable Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ENHANCED PENALTIES. 

7 (a) SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR OR WARD.—Section 

8 2243 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by strik9 ing ‘‘not more than 15 years’’ each place the term appears 

10 and inserting ‘‘for any number of years up to life’’. 


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1 (b) ABUSIVE SEXUAL CONTACT.—Section 2244(c) of 

2 title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking 

3 ‘‘twice that otherwise provided in this section’’ and replace 

4 with ‘‘up to life’’. 

5 (c) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN.—Section 

6 2251 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by strik7 ing subsection (e) and inserting the following: 

8 ‘‘(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any per9 son who violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, this 

10 section shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not 

11 less than 15 years or for life. 

12 ‘‘(2) In the case of a person described in paragraph 

13 (1) who— 

14 ‘‘(A) has 1 prior conviction under this chapter, 

15 section 1591, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 

16 117, or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of 

17 the Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the 

18 laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual 

19 abuse, sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact involving 

20 a minor or ward, or sex trafficking of children, or 

21 the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, dis22 tribution, shipment, or transportation of child por23 nography, the person shall be fined under this title 

24 and imprisoned for not less than 25 years or for life; 

25 and 


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1 ‘‘(B) has 2 or more prior convictions under this 

2 chapter, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, 

3 or under section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the 

4 Uniform Code of Military Justice), or under the laws 

5 of any State relating to the sexual exploitation of 

6 children, the person shall be fined under this title 

7 and imprisoned not less than 35 years or for life. 

8 ‘‘(3) Any organization that violates, or attempts or 

9 conspires to violate, this section shall be fined under this 

10 title. 

11 ‘‘(4) Whoever, in the course of an offense under this 

12 section, engages in conduct that results in the death of 

13 a person, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for 

14 not less than 30 years or for life.’’. 

15 (d) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO MATERIAL

16 INVOLVING THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS.— 

17 Section 2252(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amend18 ed— 

19 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

20 (A) by striking ‘‘not more than 20 years’’ 

21 and inserting ‘‘not more than 40 years’’; and 

22 (B) by striking ‘‘nor more than 40 years’’ 

23 and inserting ‘‘or for life’’; and 


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1 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘for not more 

2 than 20 years, or if’’ and inserting ‘‘for any number 

3 of years up to life, or if’’. 

4 (e) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO MATERIAL

5 CONSTITUTING OR CONTAINING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.— 

6 Section 2252A(b)(2) of title 18, United States Code, is 

7 amended by striking ‘‘for not more than 20 years, or if’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘for any number of years up to life, or if’’. 

9 (f) INTERSTATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—Section 

10 2261(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘for life or 

12 any term of years’’ and inserting ‘‘for not less than 

13 15 years or for life’’; 

14 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘20 years’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘25 years’’; and 

16 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘10 years’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘15 years’’. 

Æ 


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