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Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act of 1996

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 24, 1996

Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act of 1996 - Amends the Federal criminal code to apply prohibitions and penalties for aggravated sexual abuse of a person under age 12 and for sexual abuse of a person between the ages of 12 and 16 to any person who: (1) crosses a State line with intent to engage in a sexual act with such minor; or (2) knowingly engages, or attempts to engage, in such an act in interstate or foreign commerce. Directs that a defendant previously convicted of another Federal offense of sexual abuse or aggravated sexual abuse of a minor or of a State offense that would have been such an offense had it occurred in a Federal prison be sentenced to life imprisonment, unless the death penalty is imposed. Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) to require a State, in order that funds available under the drug control and system improvement grant program under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 are not reduced by ten percent, to have in effect a law which requires a court to sentence a defendant in a State prosecution who is convicted of an offense that would have been aggravated sexual abuse or sexual abuse of a minor if it occurred in a Federal prison, and who has previously been convicted for such an offense, to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Revises VCCLEA provisions under subtitle A of title XVII (the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act) to direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to maintain a separate data base for information submitted to it under such Act, to make such data base accessible to appropriate State law enforcement officials, and to inform appropriate local law enforcement officials when a person changes registration to that locality.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · D–CA

Committees

  • Judiciary Committee
1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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

  2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8637-8638)

  3. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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