H.R. 4831 – ENFORCE Act

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Updated November 23, 2025 at 10:58 PM UTC

The ENFORCE Act updates federal criminal statutes to make it easier to prosecute and punish the creation, distribution, and handling of child pornography and obscene visual depictions of child sexual abuse. It broadens the definition of production, removes time limits for prosecution, adds offenders to the national sex‑offender registry, and tightens rules on evidence handling, detention, and post‑prison supervision. The changes affect anyone who creates, transports, or is otherwise involved with such illegal material.

Key Provisions

Adds a new production offense for child pornography that requires the producer to know the material will be transported across state or foreign lines, and updates related subsections.
Eliminates the statute of limitations for crimes involving obscene visual depictions of child sexual abuse.
Requires those convicted of such obscene visual offenses to be listed in the federal sex‑offender registry.
Bars the reproduction of obscene visual depictions of child sexual abuse in criminal discovery, keeping the material under government or court control and allowing victim access under the same rules as child‑pornography victims.
Creates a presumption that defendants charged with these offenses will be detained pending trial.
Extends supervised‑release requirements to include the new obscene visual offense (section 1466A).

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

August 1, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

August 1, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

August 1, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued August 1, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4831

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 1, 2025

Mrs. Wagner (for herself, Mr. Van Drew, and Mr. Cohen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to enhance enforcement with respect to material depicting obscene child sexual abuse or constituting child pornography, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Enhancing Necessary Federal Offenses Regarding Child Exploitation Act or the ENFORCE Act.

2.

Clarifying production with respect to material constituting or containing child pornography

Section 2252A of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:

(7)

knowingly produces child pornography, as defined in section 2256(8)(C), that—

(A)

the person knows, or has reason to know, will be mailed, shipped, or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce;

(B)

was produced using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce; or

(C)

has been mailed, shipped, or transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce,

; and

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

in paragraph (1), by striking or (6) and inserting (6), or (7); and

(B)

by striking paragraph (3).

3.

Enhancing enforcement with respect to obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse

(a)

Removing the statute of limitations for obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse

Section 3299 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 1466A or before 1591.

(b)

Including crimes of obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse in sex offender registration

Section 111(5)(A)(iii) of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20911(5)(A)(iii)) is amended by inserting 1466A or before 1591.

(c)

Prohibition on reproduction of obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse in discovery

Section 1466A of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (e) the following:

(f)

Prohibition on reproduction of obscene visual depictions of child sexual abuse

In any criminal proceeding brought under this section—

(1)

any visual depiction involved in a violation of this section shall remain in the care, custody, and control of either the Government or the court in the same manner specified for child pornography in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 3509(m); and

(2)

any identifiable minor, as that term is defined in section 2256(9), depicted in any visual depiction involved in a violation of this section may have access to such depiction in the same manner specified for a victim, with respect to child pornography depicting the victim, in section 3509(m)(3).

.

(d)

Presumption of detention for violations of section 1466A pending trial

Section 3142 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in subsection (c)(1)(B), in the undesignated matter following clause (xiv), by striking that involves and all that follows through 2425 of this title and inserting that involves an offense described in subsection (e)(3)(E); and

(2)

in subsection (e)(3), by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following:

(E)

an offense—

(i)

involving a minor victim under section 1201, 1591, 2241(a), 2241(b), 2242, 2244(a)(1), 2245, 2421, or 2422(a) of this title; or

(ii)

under section 1466A(a), 2241(c), 2251A, 2252(a)(1), 2252(a)(2), 2252(a)(3), 2252A(a)(1), 2252A(a)(2), 2252A(a)(3), 2252A(a)(4), 2260, 2422(b), 2423, or 2425 of this title.

.

(e)

Supervised release for violations of section 1466A after imprisonment

Section 3583(k) of title 18, United States Code, is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting 1466A, before 1591,.