Politics
House passes bill mandating lifetime no-contact orders for convicted federal sex offenders
The Kayleigh's Law Act moves to the Senate after winning unanimous approval in the House to permanently bar convicted violent offenders from contacting victims.
The short version
- The U.S. House unanimously approved the Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026 (H.R. 8481) to mandate lifetime no-contact orders against individuals convicted of federal sex crimes and violent felonies.
- The bill is designed to prevent victims from being forced back into court to contest offenders' requests to modify or lift protective orders.
- The legislation now heads to the Senate, where Sen. Mike Lee is leading efforts to pass the measure.
Key facts
- The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8481, known as the Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026, by a unanimous vote.[Fox News]
- The bill requires federal courts to impose lifetime no-contact injunctions on offenders convicted of violent felonies and sex crimes, continuing after incarceration, probation, or supervised release ends.[Fox News]
- The legislation was introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., and named after survivor Kayleigh Kozak, who fought repeated court attempts by her abuser to alter protective restrictions.[Fox News]
- Similar state-level versions of Kayleigh's Law have already been enacted in Arizona and Wisconsin.[Fox News]
- Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is leading the effort to advance the legislation in the Senate.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- The timing and likelihood of a floor vote on the bill in the Senate remain unconfirmed.[Fox News]