115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6847 
AN ACT 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to expand and 
strengthen Federal sex offenses, to reauthorize certain 
programs established by the Adam Walsh Child Protec-
tion and Safety Act of 2006, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Preventing Child Exploitation Act of 2018’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—STRENGTHENING FEDERAL SEX OFFENSE LAWS 
Sec. 101. Expanding the definition of illicit sexual conduct. 
Sec. 102. Expanding the definition of Federal sex offense. 
Sec. 103. Failure of sex offenders to register. 
Sec. 104. Prior military offenses included for purposes of recidivist sentencing 
provisions. 
Sec. 105. Sexual exploitation of children. 
Sec. 106. Limited liability for certain persons when responding to search war-
rants or other legal process. 
TITLE II—ADAM WALSH REAUTHORIZATION ACT 
Sec. 201. Short title. 
Sec. 202. Sex offender management assistance (SOMA) program reauthoriza-
tion. 
Sec. 203. Reauthorization of Federal assistance with respect to violations of 
registration requirements. 
Sec. 204. Duration of sex offender registration requirements for certain juve-
niles. 
Sec. 205. Public access to juvenile sex offender information. 
Sec. 206. Protection of local governments from State noncompliance penalty 
under SORNA. 
Sec. 207. Additional information to be included in annual report on enforce-
ment of registration requirements. 
Sec. 208. Ensuring supervision of released sexually dangerous persons. 
Sec. 209. Tribal Access Program. 
Sec. 210. Alternative mechanisms for in-person verification. 
Sec. 211. Clarification of aggravated sexual abuse. 
Sec. 212. Comprehensive examination of sex offender issues. 
Sec. 213. Assisting States with juvenile registration.
TITLE I—STRENGTHENING 
FEDERAL SEX OFFENSE LAWS 
SEC. 101. EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF ILLICIT SEXUAL 
CONDUCT. 
Section 2423(f)(1) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘a sexual act (as defined in sec-
tion 2246) with’’ and inserting ‘‘any conduct involv-
ing’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘if the sexual act’’ and inserting 
‘‘if the conduct’’. 
SEC. 102. EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF FEDERAL SEX 
OFFENSE. 
Section 3559 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (e)(2)(A)— 
(A) by inserting after ‘‘2244(a)(1)’’ the 
following ‘‘or 2244(a)(5)’’; 
(B) by striking the ‘‘or’’ before ‘‘2423(a)’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘into prostitution’’; and 
(D) by inserting ‘‘or 2423(c) (relating to 
illicit sexual conduct)’’ before the semicolon at 
the end; and 
(2) in subsection (e)(3), by striking ‘‘or 
2423(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘, 2423(a), or 2423(c)’’.
SEC. 103. FAILURE OF SEX OFFENDERS TO REGISTER. 
Section 2250(d) of title 18, United State Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by inserting after ‘‘Federal law (including 
the Uniform Code of Military Justice),’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘State law,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term 
‘crime of violence’ has the meaning given such term 
in section 16.’’. 
SEC. 104. PRIOR MILITARY OFFENSES INCLUDED FOR PUR-
POSES OF RECIDIVIST SENTENCING PROVI-
SIONS. 
(a) AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE.—Section 2241(c) 
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after ‘‘State offense’’ the following: ‘‘or an offense under 
the Uniform Code of Military Justice’’. 
(b) SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN.—Section 
2251(e) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ‘‘section 920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uni-
form Code of Military Justice), or under’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘the Uniform Code of Military Jus-
tice or’’. 
(c) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO MATERIAL 
INVOLVING THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS.—
Section 2252 of title 18, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting ‘‘the Uni-
form Code of Military Justice or’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting ‘‘the Uni-
form Code of Military Justice or’’. 
(d) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO MATERIAL 
CONSTITUTING OR CONTAINING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.— 
Section 2252A of title 18, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting ‘‘the Uni-
form Code of Military Justice or’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting ‘‘the Uni-
form Code of Military Justice or’’. 
(e) REPEAT OFFENDERS.—Section 2426(b)(1)(B) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after
‘‘State law’’ the following: ‘‘or the Uniform Code of Mili-
tary Justice’’. 
(f) SENTENCING CLASSIFICATION.—Section 3559 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (e)(2)(B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘State sex offense’’ and in-
serting ‘‘State or Military sex offense’’; and 
(B) by inserting after ‘‘under State law’’ 
the following: ‘‘or the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)(2)(C), by inserting after 
‘‘State’’ the following: ‘‘or Military’’. 
SEC. 105. SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN. 
Section 2251 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(a) Any person who, in a circumstance described in 
subsection (f), knowingly— 
‘‘(1) employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, 
or coerces a minor to engage in any sexually explicit 
conduct for the purpose of producing any visual de-
piction of such conduct, or transmitting a live visual 
depiction of such conduct;
‘‘(2) produces or causes to be produced a visual 
depiction of a minor engaged in any sexually explicit 
conduct where the production of such visual depic-
tion involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually 
explicit conduct and such visual depiction is of such 
conduct; 
‘‘(3) transmits or causes to be transmitted a 
live visual depiction of a minor engaged in any sexu-
ally explicit conduct; 
‘‘(4) has a minor assist any other person to en-
gage in any sexually explicit conduct during the 
commission of an offense set forth in paragraphs (1) 
through (3) of this subsection; or 
‘‘(5) transports any minor in or affecting inter-
state or foreign commerce with the intent that such 
minor be used in the production or live transmission 
of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in any sexu-
ally explicit conduct, 
shall be punished as provided under subsection (e). 
‘‘(b) Any parent, legal guardian, or person having 
custody or control of a minor who, in a circumstance de-
scribed in subsection (f), knowingly permits such minor 
to engage in, or to assist any other person to engage in, 
sexually explicit conduct knowing that a visual depiction
of such conduct will be produced or transmitted shall be 
punished as provided under subsection (e).’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘employs, uses, per-
suades, induces, entices, or coerces any 
minor to engage in, or who has a minor as-
sist any other person to engage in, any 
sexually explicit conduct’’ and inserting 
‘‘engages in any conduct described in para-
graphs (1) through (5) of subsection (a)’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘, for the purpose of 
producing any visual depiction of such con-
duct,’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting after 
‘‘transported’’ the following: ‘‘or transmitted’’; 
and 
(C) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting after 
‘‘transports’’ the following; ‘‘or transmits’’; 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) The circumstances referred to in subsections (a) 
and (b) are— 
‘‘(1) that the person knows or has reason to 
know that such visual depiction will be—
SEC. 210. ALTERNATIVE MECHANISMS FOR IN-PERSON 
VERIFICATION. 
Section 116 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and 
Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20918) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘A sex offender shall’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), a sex offender shall’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) ALTERNATIVE VERIFICATION METHOD.—A ju-
risdiction may allow a sex offender to comply with the re-
quirements under subsection (a) by an alternative 
verification method approved by the Attorney General, ex-
cept that each offender shall appear in person not less 
than one time per year. The Attorney General shall ap-
prove an alternative verification method described in this 
subsection prior to its implementation by a jurisdiction in 
order to ensure that such method provides for verification 
that is sufficient to ensure the public safety.’’. 
SEC. 211. CLARIFICATION OF AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE. 
Section 111(8) of the Adam Walsh Child Protection 
and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20911(8)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘subsection (a) or (b) of’’ before ‘‘section 
2241 of title 18, United States Code’’.