S. 3397

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3397 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3397

To make coercion of children to commit harm a criminal offense, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

December 9, 2025

Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Cornyn, and 
Mr. Graham) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To make coercion of children to commit harm a criminal offense, 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 ``Ending Coercion of Children and Harm 
Online'' or the ``ECCHO Act''.

SEC. 2. COERCION OF CHILDREN TO COMMIT HARM.

Chapter 110A of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after section 2261B the following:
``Sec. 2261C. Coercion of children to commit harm
``(a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
``(1) Coerce.--The term `coerce' includes the use of 
extortion, threats, fraud, deceit, duress, intimidation, 
harassment, humiliation, degradation, or manipulation.
``(2) Covered act.--The term `covered act' means doxxing, 
swatting, or making a false report about an active or imminent 
threat.
``(3) Doxxing.--The term `doxxing' means the act of 
publishing the personally identifiable information of an 
individual for the purpose of harassing or intimidating the 
individual.
``(4) Minor.--The term `minor' means any individual who has 
not attained the age of 18 years.
``(5) Substantial bodily injury.--The term `substantial 
bodily injury' has the meaning given that term in section 113.
``(6) Swatting.--The term `swatting' means the act of 
making a false report to emergency services about an individual 
for the purpose of causing a special weapons and tactics team 
to respond to the location of the individual.
``(b) Offense.--It shall be unlawful for any person, using the mail 
or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within 
the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, 
to intentionally coerce a minor, directly or through an intermediary, 
to--
``(1)(A) die by suicide or attempt to die by suicide; or
``(B) kill or attempt to kill any individual;
``(2) kill or attempt to kill any, pet, emotional support 
animal, service animal, or horse;
``(3) strangle, suffocate, poison, burn, lacerate, or 
inflict serious bodily injury or substantial bodily injury on 
any individual (including the minor), pet, emotional support 
animal, service animal, or horse; or
``(4) commit, or attempt to commit--
``(A) arson; or
``(B) a covered act for which any person can be 
charged with a criminal offense.
``(c) Penalty.--Any person who violates, or attempts or conspires 
to violate--
``(1) subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (b)(1) shall be 
fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or 
life, or both; or
``(2) paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (b) shall be 
fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 30 years, or 
both.''.

SEC. 3. CLERICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

(a) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 110A of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 2261B the following:

``2261C. Coercion of children to commit harm''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Title 18.--
(A) Chapter 110.--Chapter 110 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended--
(i) in section 2252A(g), by inserting 
``section 2261C,'' after ``section 1591,''; and
(ii) in section 2258A--
(I) in subsection (a)--
(aa) in paragraph (1)(A), 
by striking ``online child 
sexual exploitation and to 
prevent the online sexual 
exploitation of children'' and 
inserting ``, and to prevent, 
online child sexual 
exploitation and online 
coercion of children''; and
(bb) in paragraph (2)(A)--

(AA) by striking 
``or 2260 that involves 
child pornography,'' 
and inserting ``2260, 
2261C, or 2422(b), 
or''; and

(BB) by striking 
``, or of 2422(b)'';

(II) in subsection (b), in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ``sexual'' and inserting 
``online'';
(III) in subsection (c)--
(aa) in paragraph (1), by 
striking ``, kidnapping or 
enticement crimes'' and 
inserting ``or kidnapping, 
online coercion, or enticement 
crimes involving children'';
(bb) in paragraph (2), by 
inserting ``or kidnapping, 
online coercion, or enticement 
crimes involving children'' 
after ``sexual exploitation''; 
and
(cc) in paragraph (3), by 
striking ``, kidnapping or 
enticement crimes'' and 
inserting ``or kidnapping, 
online coercion, or enticement 
crimes involving children'';
(IV) in subsection 
(d)(5)(A)(ii)(II), by striking ``, 
kidnapping, or enticement crimes'' and 
inserting ``or kidnapping, online 
coercion, or enticement crimes 
involving children'';
(V) in subsection (g)(3)--
(aa) in subparagraph (A), 
by striking ``, kidnapping, or 
enticement crimes'' and 
inserting ``or kidnapping, 
online coercion, or enticement 
crimes involving children'';
(bb) in subparagraph (B), 
by striking ``, kidnapping, or 
enticement crimes'' and 
inserting ``or kidnapping, 
online coercion, or enticement 
crimes involving children''; 
and
(cc) in subparagraph (C), 
by striking ``, kidnapping, or 
enticement crimes'' and 
inserting ``or kidnapping, 
online coercion, or enticement 
crimes involving children''; 
and
(VI) in subsection (h)(5), by 
striking ``the proliferation of online 
child sexual exploitation or preventing 
the online sexual exploitation of 
children'' and inserting ``or 
preventing the proliferation of online 
child sexual exploitation or online 
coercion of children''.
(B) Section 3509.--Section 3509(a)(2)(A) of title 
18, United States Code, is amended by striking 
``physical abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitation'' and 
inserting ``child abuse''.
(C) Section 5032.--Section 5032 of title 18, United 
States Code--
(i) in the first undesignated paragraph--
(I) by striking ``or section 
1002(a)'' and inserting ``section 
1002(a)''; and
(II) by striking ``section 922(x) 
or section 924(b), (g), or (h) of this 
title'' and inserting ``or section 
922(x), section 924(b), (g), or (h), or 
section 2261C of this title''; and
(ii) in the fourth undesignated paragraph, 
by striking ``section 922(x) of this title, or 
in section 924(b), (g), or (h) of this title'' 
and inserting ``section 922(x), section 924(b), 
(g), or (h), or section 2261C of this title''.
(2) PROTECT our children act of 2008.--Section 2 of the 
PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 (34 U.S.C. 21101) is amended 
by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) Child exploitation.--The term `child exploitation' 
means--
``(A) any conduct, attempted conduct, or conspiracy 
to engage in conduct that--
``(i) violates chapter 110 or section 
2261C, 2422(b), or 2423 of title 18; or
``(ii) involves a minor and violates 
section 1591 or chapter 109A of title 18; or
``(B) any sexual activity involving a minor for 
which any person can be charged with a criminal 
offense.''.

SEC. 4. SEVERABILITY.

If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by this Act, or the 
application of such a provision or amendment to any person or 
circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remaining provisions 
of and amendments made by this Act, and the application of the 
provision or amendment held to be unconstitutional to any other person 
or circumstance, shall not be affected thereby.
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