H.R. 7834

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7834 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7834

To limit liability for certain entities storing child sexual abuse 
material for law enforcement agencies, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 5, 2026

Ms. Lee of Florida (for herself, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cohen, 
and Mr. Knott) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To limit liability for certain entities storing child sexual abuse 
material for law enforcement agencies, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Cloud Storage Act''.

SEC. 2. STORAGE OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND CHILD OBSCENITY.

(a) In General.--Title II of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 
(34 U.S.C. 21101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 201 the 
following:

``SEC. 202. MODERNIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT'S ABILITY TO STORE CHILD 
PORNOGRAPHY AND CHILD OBSCENITY AND LIMITED LIABILITY FOR 
APPROVED VENDORS.

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Approved vendor.--The term `approved vendor' means an 
organization, corporation, or entity that--
``(A) offers digital storage services, including 
remote or cloud-based storage, and analytical and 
forensic tool processing support; and
``(B) has been contractually retained by a covered 
agency to support the duties of such agency by--
``(i) storing digital child pornography or 
child obscenity;
``(ii) making such child pornography or 
child obscenity available to the contracting 
agency, or any law enforcement or prosecutorial 
agency designated by the contracting agency, 
upon request; and
``(iii) providing maintenance, technical 
and analytical assistance, and forensic tool 
processing support upon request by the 
contracting agency.
``(2) Child pornography.--The term `child pornography' has 
the meaning given that term in section 2256(8) of title 18, 
United States Code.
``(3) Child obscenity.--The term `child obscenity' has the 
meaning given that term in section 21101(2) of title 34, United 
States Code.
``(4) Covered agency.--The term `covered agency' means a 
United States Federal, State, or local law enforcement or 
prosecutorial agency.
``(5) Local.--The term `local' means any political 
subdivision of a State.
``(6) State.--The term `State' means any of the 50 States 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United 
States, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands.
``(b) Limited Liability for Approved Vendors.--
``(1) Limited liability for law enforcement approved 
vendors.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a civil claim or 
criminal charge may not be brought in any Federal or State 
court against an approved vendor relating to the approved 
vendor's performance of any contractual obligation or service 
described in subsection (a)(1).
``(2) Intentional, reckless, or other misconduct.--A civil 
claim or criminal charge may be brought in any Federal or State 
court against an approved vendor if the approved vendor--
``(A) engaged in--
``(i) intentional misconduct; or
``(ii) negligent conduct; or
``(B) acted, or failed to act--
``(i) with actual malice;
``(ii) with reckless disregard to a 
substantial risk of causing injury without 
legal justification; or
``(iii) for a purpose unrelated to the 
performance of any responsibility or function 
described in subsection (a)(1)(B).
``(c) Vendor Cybersecurity Requirements.--With respect to any child 
pornography or child obscenity stored, maintained, or processed by an 
approved vendor, such approved vendor shall--
``(1) secure such child pornography or child obscenity in a 
manner that is consistent with the most recent version of the 
Cybersecurity Framework developed by the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, or any successor thereto;
``(2) only access the child pornography or child obscenity 
upon consent of the law enforcement or prosecutorial agency 
contracting the service and for the purpose of providing 
maintenance, technical assistance, and forensic tool processing 
support in the cloud;
``(3) minimize the number of employees that may be able to 
obtain access to such child pornography or child obscenity and 
maintain a list of employees who have obtained such access;
``(4) employ end-to-end encryption for data storage and 
transfer functions, or an equivalent technological standard;
``(5) undergo an independent annual cybersecurity audit to 
determine whether such child pornography or child obscenity is 
secured as required by paragraph (1), including by assessing 
compliance with the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Special Publication 800-53, Revision 5 (relating to 
security and privacy controls for information systems and 
organizations) or any successor documents or revisions; and
``(6) promptly address all issues identified by an audit 
described in paragraph (5).
``(d) Evidence Storage.--Any covered agency that stores child 
pornography and child obscenity pursuant to a contract with an approved 
vendor shall retain such evidence--
``(1) in compliance with the security policy of the 
Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, or any other similar and appropriate 
division within the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
``(2) for a period consistent with the evidence retention 
requirements applicable to the investigating or prosecuting 
covered agency under the relevant Federal, State, or local law, 
rule of criminal procedure, or prosecutorial policy; or
``(3) in the absence of such law, rule, or policy, for a 
period not less than the applicable statute of limitations or 
the duration of any sentence imposed, including the period of 
post-conviction review.
``(e) Additional Requirements for Approved Vendors.--
``(1) Location of data.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), each approved vendor shall ensure 
that child pornography and child obscenity stored 
pursuant to this section remains in the United States.
``(B) Exception.--Child pornography and child 
obscenity under this section may be transferred outside 
the United States only with the express consent of the 
contracting covered agency if such agency deems the 
transfer necessary for investigative purposes.
``(2) Notification letter.--
``(A) In general.--Approved vendors shall file a 
notification letter with the Criminal Division of the 
Department of Justice not later than 30 days after 
entering into a contract described in subsection 
(a)(1)(B).
``(B) Contents.--The notification letter described 
in subparagraph (A) shall include the entity name and 
point of contact information of the approved vendor, 
the name of the contracting covered agency, the period 
of performance of the contract, and an acknowledgment 
by the approved vendor that the approved vendor will 
notify the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of 
the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice of 
any changes to the information in the letter.
``(3) Breach of contract.--
``(A) In general.--If a covered agency fails to 
make required payment under a contract, breaches any 
material term of such contract, or otherwise terminates 
such contract without establishing lawful transfer of 
the evidence, the approved vendor shall, not later than 
30 days after the failure, breach, or termination, 
notify the Criminal Division of the Department of 
Justice in the case of a breach by a Federal agency, or 
the appropriate State attorney general in the case of a 
breach by a State or local agency.
``(B) Maintenance of evidence.--Upon making a 
notification under subparagraph (A), the approved 
vendor shall continue to preserve and maintain the 
integrity of the evidence until a prompt and lawful 
transfer of custody occurs to the Criminal Division of 
the Department of Justice or another Federal, State, or 
local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction.
``(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to limit--
``(1) bona fide use by the contracting covered agency of 
child pornography or child obscenity being stored by the 
approved vendor, which includes providing such child 
pornography or child obscenity to any other party as necessary 
for an investigation or prosecution; or
``(2) the obligation of the contracting covered agency to 
comply with a constitutional or statutory obligation, court 
order, or request from a victim made pursuant to section 
3509(m)(3) of title 18, United States Code.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--Section 1(b) of the PROTECT Our Children 
Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-401; 122 Stat. 4229) is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 201 the following:

``Sec. 202. Modernizing law enforcement's ability to store child 
pornography and child obscenity and limited 
liability for approved vendors.''.
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