HR 2726119th CongressIn Committee

Paula Bohovesky and Joan D’Alessandro Act

Introduced: Apr 8, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Paula Bohovesky and Joan D’Alessandro Act is a bipartisan-style bill introduced in the House that would broaden the penalties for federal crimes against children. Specifically, it revises 18 U.S.C. 3559(d)(1)(A) by adding a new condition after the existing reference to a 14-year maximum. The added language says that, if the victim is under 18 and the conviction involved a sexual offense, harsher penalties—potentially the death penalty or life imprisonment—could apply under the statute’s framework for crimes against children. In short, the bill expands when and how severely federal offenses involving child victims in sexual offenses might be punished.

Key Points

1Short title: The act is named the “Paula Bohovesky and Joan D’Alessandro Act.”
2Core change: Amend 18 U.S.C. 3559(d)(1)(A) by inserting after the phrase “14 years” a new clause addressing victims under 18 in cases involving a sexual offense.
3Scope of change: Applies to federal crimes against children where the offense is sexual in nature, potentially enabling penalties beyond the current 14-year cap.
4Penalty mechanism: The amendment references “death or imprisonment” for crimes against children, signaling an expansion to allow more severe penalties (subject to applicable statutory and constitutional constraints).
5Legislative status: Introduced in the House (as of the provided text); sponsor listed as unknown; referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Victims under 18 in federal sexual offense cases and their families; federal prosecutors handling child-sex abuse cases.Secondary group/area affected: Defendants charged with federal crimes against children; law enforcement and federal courts that handle sentencing.Additional impacts: Could re-ignite debates over the federal death penalty and the appropriate use of capital punishment in sexual offenses against minors; potential implications for sentencing guidelines, due process considerations, and how federal and state penalties interact in cases involving minors.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 19, 2025