Bill · H.R. 6719· House(119-HR-6719)
James T. Woods Act
- Introduced
- 12/15/2025
- Last activity
- 3/2/2026 — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 346.
- Sponsored by
- Laurel Lee
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 1
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Awaiting Senate
- On Senate calendar
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "James T. Woods Act," aims to prohibit threats made against minors. It directs the United States Sentencing Commission to update federal sentencing guidelines to better address the scale and complexity of online child sex offenses. The legislation also creates new criminal offenses for the coercion of children to commit harm, such as suicide or violence. Additionally, it establishes penalties for threatening to distribute child sexual abuse material to intimidate or extort victims. The Act includes various provisions to update existing federal laws regarding child exploitation and sexual offenses.
Yes
Would children be better off under this?+8
The act provides enhanced legal protections and harsher penalties for those who coerce or threaten minors online.
Does this shorten or soften prison sentences?+5
The bill directs the Sentencing Commission to update guidelines to ensure penalties reflect the scale and complexity of modern online child sex offenses.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+4
The bill provides increased legal protections against online coercion and sextortion which target young people.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Accountability for Online Predators: The bill directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend guidelines to ensure penalties reflect the "actual and potential harm to victims and to the public" and the "use of modern computer and internet technologies" (Section 103(b)).
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Enhanced Protection Against Coercion: By creating a new offense, the bill makes it unlawful to use "extortion, threats, fraud, deceit, duress, intimidation, harassment, humiliation, degradation, or manipulation" to coerce a minor to die by suicide, kill others, or commit acts of violence (Section 202(b)).
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New Protections Against Sextortion: The "Stop Sextortion Act" title updates laws to include penalties for those who threaten to distribute visual depictions of minors with the "intent to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause substantial emotional distress" (Section 302).
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Heightened Sentencing for Targeted Threats: The bill increases maximum prison terms by 10 years if an offense involves using a visual depiction of a minor with the intent to intimidate, coerce, extort, or cause emotional distress (Section 303(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Prison Time for Specific Offenses: Individuals convicted of threatening to distribute child pornography with intent to intimidate or extort face an increased maximum term of imprisonment (Section 303(a)).
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Expanded Definition of Coercion: The bill's definition of "coerce" is broad, including "fraud, deceit, duress, intimidation, harassment, humiliation, degradation, or manipulation," which applies to crimes against minors (Section 202(a)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+8Good For Young Adults+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Criminal Sentencing Reform+5
- 3/2/2026
- Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 346.
- 2/26/2026
- Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 1/13/2026
- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1/12/2026
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H628)
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H628)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6719.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H628-630)
- Ms. Lee (FL) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/9/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/18/2025
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Voice Vote.
- 12/15/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
4 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Laura GillenDemocrat · New York
Derek SchmidtRepublican · Kansas