Millstone Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9146
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T20:25:53Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation, known as the Millstone Act, aims to strengthen criminal penalties for offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children by amending multiple sections of Title 18 of the United States Code.
Key Provisions
- Increased penalties across various crimes: The bill modifies sentencing options in several federal statutes to include the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment in addition to or instead of existing fines and prison terms.
- Specific amendments include:
- Female genital mutilation under Section 116.
- Civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct under Section 250.
- Sex trafficking of children under Section 1591.
- Sexual abuse of a minor under Section 2243.
- Abusive sexual contact under Section 2244.
- Sexual exploitation of children under Section 2251.
- Selling or buying of children under Section 2251A.
- Possession or distribution of material involving sexual exploitation of minors under Sections 2252 and 2252A.
- Coercion and enticement under Section 2422.
- Transportation of minors under Section 2423.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Replaces limited prison terms (such as "not more than 10 years" or "not more than 15 years") with options for "punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life" in multiple provisions.
- Adds "death or" language before existing imprisonment options in statutes related to sex trafficking, coercion, and transportation of minors.
- Updates penalty structures for attempts and conspiracies to commit these offenses, aligning them with the heightened maximum punishments.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Federal courts and the Department of Justice may see expanded sentencing options, potentially increasing the complexity of prosecutions and appeals in affected cases.
- On citizens: Heightened deterrence for individuals involved in child exploitation crimes, with greater emphasis on severe consequences for offenders.
- On international relations: No direct provisions affect foreign policy, though the changes could influence U.S. positions in international child protection agreements by demonstrating stricter domestic enforcement.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Victims of child sexual exploitation and their families.
- Individuals charged with or convicted of the specified federal offenses.
- Federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.
- Advocacy organizations focused on child protection.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Expands the application of the death penalty to a broader range of child exploitation offenses, which may prompt challenges regarding Eighth Amendment considerations on cruel and unusual punishment.
- Maintains existing fine structures while elevating imprisonment options, preserving some flexibility in sentencing but introducing capital punishment where it was previously unavailable.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (6)
Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36], Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-GA-7], Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14], Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10], Rep. Self, Keith [R-TX-3], Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Millstone Act — issued 2026-06-04 — PDF (5 pages)