PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025
The PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025 would reauthorize and expand the federal framework established to combat child exploitation, building on the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008. The bill extends key programs, updates the national planning and data efforts, broadens participation to include Tribal and military entities, and increases funding for law enforcement capabilities and training related to Internet crimes against children (ICAC). A core aim is to strengthen prevention, interdiction, investigation, and prosecution efforts, with more formal assessment of program effectiveness and closer engagement with international, state, local, and private-sector partners. Key changes include extending the update cycle for the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction from every two years to every four years, expanding the content required in the strategy, clarifying and expanding the ICAC Task Force program (including tribal and military participation and limited liability protections), enhancing the duties of ICAC task forces (including more digital forensics and prioritization of leads), modernizing the data system and grant program, and boosting authorized funding for 2026–2028. It also makes several administrative edits, such as removing Title II of the original act and updating reporting requirements for providers.
Key Points
- 1National Strategy cadence and content
- 2- Replaces the requirement to update the National Strategy every two years with updates every four years.
- 3- Requires a comprehensive national strategy that analyzes current and future trends, sets interagency and international coordination goals, and covers engagement with federal, state, local, Tribal, and private-sector partners.
- 4National ICAC Task Force Program and liability protections
- 5- Expands the ICAC Task Force Program to include Tribal and military components and to identify child victims.
- 6- Requires evaluation of existing ICAC task forces to determine effectiveness; allows continuation of existing task forces or establishment of new ones.
- 7- Establishes limited liability for ICAC task forces and related personnel for prioritization decisions, with narrow exceptions for intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or actions not connected to the program’s responsibilities.
- 8Purpose and duties of ICAC Task Forces
- 9- Emphasizes identifying child victims and prioritizing leads that are most likely to rescue children and result in positive case outcomes.
- 10- Adds education for the judiciary on links between intrafamilial offenses and technology-facilitated crimes, and on characteristics of online offenders.
- 11National Internet Crimes Against Children Data System and grant program
- 12- Updates data system leadership: establishing may be permissive rather than mandatory and reorganizes reporting components.
- 13- Strengthens ICAC grant program requirements so at least 20% of funds support ICAC Task Force training, tools, research, wellness training, and related activities.
- 14- Requires reporting on the number of child victims identified and related program metrics.
- 15Funding and appropriations
- 16- Authorizes specific new levels of funding for ICAC-related activities: $70 million (FY 2026), $80 million (FY 2027), and $90 million (FY 2028).
- 17Administrative changes
- 18- Repeals Title II of the 2008 Act as part of the modernization effort.
- 19- Adjusts reporting requirements for providers of certain crime data, adding supplemental data to required reports.