United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee 4 R cosponsors

S 1401 — Targeting Child Predators Act of 2025

Last action — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 09, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 22% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 4 sponsors

    1 primary, 3 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (4 R).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Targeting Child Predators Act of 2025This bill lengthens the duration of a nondisclosure order issued in connection with an administrative subpoena in a child exploitation or abuse investigation. The bill also subjects the nondisclosure order to judicial review.Current law permits the government to issue an administrative subpoena that compels providers of remote computing services or electronic communication services (providers) to disclose information pertaining to a subscriber in connection with a child exploitation or abuse investigation. Providers may notify customers and subscribers of the administrative subpoena unless the government obtains a court order—a nondisclosure order—that prohibits the notification. A nondisclosure order is currently valid for up to 90 days.This bill allows the government to obtain a nondisclosure order for 180 days in connection with a child exploitation or abuse investigation if the administrative subpoena includes a certification of necessity and notice of the right to judicial review.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

1 section in 1 law

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-121).

Witnesses and evidence · 18 U.S.C. ch. 223 1 section
  • § 3486 Administrative subpoenas Amends

    18 U.S.C. § 3486 — at 3486(a)

    The law today

    (a) Authorization.— (1) (A) In any investigation of— (i) (I) a Federal health care offense; or (II) a Federal offense involving the sexual exploitation or abuse of children, the Attorney General; (ii) an unregistered sex offender conducted by the United States Marshals Service, the Director of the United States Marshals Service; or (iii) an offense under section 871 or 879, or a threat against a person protected by the United States Secret Service under paragraph (5) or (6) of section 3056,1 if the Director of the Secret Service determines that the threat constituting the offense or the threat against the person protected is imminent, the Secretary of the Treasury, may issue in writing and cause to be served a subpoena requiring the production and testimony described in subparagraph (B). (B) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), a subpoena issued under subparagraph (A) may require— (i) the production of any records or other things relevant to the investigation; and (ii) testimony by the custodian of the things required to be produced concerning the production and authenticity of those things. (C) A subpoena issued under subparagraph (A) with respect to a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service, in an investigation of a Federal offense involving the sexual exploitation or abuse of children shall not extend beyond— (i) requiring that provider to disclose the information specified in section 2703(c)(2), which may be relevant to an authorized law enforcement inquiry; or (ii) requiring a custodian of the records of that provider to give testimony concerning the production and authentication of such records or information. (D) As used in this paragraph— (i) the term “Federal offense involving the sexual exploitation or abuse of children” means an offense under section 1201, 1591, 2241(c), 2242, 2243, 2251, 2251A, 2252, 2252A, 2260, 2421, 2422, or 2423, in which the victim is an individual who has not attained the age of 18 years; and (ii) the term “sex offender” means an individual required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.).2 (2) A subpoena under this subsection shall describe the objects required to be produced and prescribe a return date within a reasonable period of time within which the objects can be assembled and made available. (3) The production of records relating to a Federal health care offense shall not be required under this section at any place more than 500 miles distant from the place where the subpoena for the production of such records is served. The production of things in any other case may be required from any place within the United States or subject to the laws or jurisdiction of the United States. (4) Witnesses subpoenaed under this section shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States. (5) At any time before the return date specified in the summons, the person or entity summoned may, in the United States district court for the district in which that person or entity does business or resides, petition for an order modifying or setting aside the summons, or a prohibition of disclosure ordered by a court under paragraph (6). (6) (A) A United States district court for the district in which the summons is or will be served, upon application of the United States, may issue an ex parte order that no person or entity disclose to any other person or entity (other than to an attorney in order to obtain legal advice) the existence of such summons for a period of up to 90 days. (B) Such order may be issued on a showing that the things being sought may be relevant to the investigation and there is reason to believe that such disclosure may result in— (i) endangerment to the life or physical safety of any person; (ii) flight to avoid prosecution; (iii) destruction of or tampering with evidence; or (iv) intimidation of potential witnesses. (C) An order under this paragraph ...

    12 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

How this bill changes current law

8 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill modifies the existing law by changing the officials authorized to issue subpoenas, enhancing nondisclosure requirements and providing for judicial review of those requirements.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486

    the Secretary of the Treasury → the Secretary of Homeland Security

    Changes the issuing authority of subpoenas from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486(a)(5)

    ordered by a court

    Eliminates the requirement that nondisclosure be ordered by a court.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486(a)(6)

    A United States → Except as provided in subparagraph (D), a United States

    Modifies the language to allow for specific exceptions to nondisclosure requirements.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486(a)(6)

    If a subpoena issued under this section as described in paragraph (1)(A)(i)(II) is accompanied by a certification under subclause (II) of this clause and notice of the right to judicial review under clause (iii) of this subparagraph, no recipient of such a subpoena shall disclose to any person that the Federal official who issued the subpoena has sought or obtained access to information or records under this section, for a period of 180 days.

    Introduces a new nondisclosure requirement allowing for a 180-day prohibition on disclosure when certain conditions are met.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486(a)(6)

    A recipient of a subpoena under this section as described in paragraph (1)(A)(i)(II) may disclose information otherwise subject to any applicable nondisclosure requirement to— (aa) those persons to whom disclosure is necessary in order to comply with the request; (bb) an attorney in order to obtain legal advice or assistance regarding the request; or (cc) other persons as permitted by the Federal official who issued the subpoena.

    Allows recipients of subpoenas to disclose information necessary for compliance, for legal advice, or as allowed by the issuing official.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486(a)(6)

    A nondisclosure requirement imposed under clause (i) shall be subject to judicial review under section 3486A.

    Establishes that nondisclosure requirements can be reviewed judicially.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486

    In general.-- If a recipient of a subpoena under section 3486 as described in subsection (a)(1)(A)(i)(II) of section 3486 wishes to have a court review a nondisclosure requirement imposed in connection with the subpoena, the recipient may notify the Government or file a petition for judicial review in any court described in subsection (a)(5) of section 3486.

    Provides a process for judicial review of nondisclosure requirements imposed on subpoena recipients.

  • 18 U.S.C. § 3486A

    The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 223 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 3486 the following: "3486A. Judicial review of nondisclosure requirements."

    Creates a new section for judicial review of nondisclosure requirements.

Action History

  1. Introduced in Senate

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 543 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (543)

543 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 543 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 1401 do?
Targeting Child Predators Act of 2025This bill lengthens the duration of a nondisclosure order issued in connection with an administrative subpoena in a child exploitation or abuse investigation. The bill also subjects the nondisclosure order to judicial review.Current law permits the government to issue an administrative subpoena that compels providers of remote computing services or electronic communication services (providers) to disclose information pertaining to a subscriber in connection with a child exploitation or abuse investigation. Providers may notify customers and subscribers of the administrative subpoena unless the government obtains a court order—a nondisclosure order—that prohibits the notification. A nondisclosure order is currently valid for up to 90 days.This bill allows the government to obtain a nondisclosure order for 180 days in connection with a child exploitation or abuse investigation if the administrative subpoena includes a certification of necessity and notice of the right to judicial review.
Who sponsors S 1401?
S 1401 is sponsored by Kennedy, John (Republican), Ricketts, Pete (Republican), Cornyn, John (Republican), and Justice, James C. (Republican).
What is the current status of S 1401?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 09, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 1401?
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