U.S. House passes bill sponsored by Laurel Lee to address child exploitation

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Revising Existing Procedures on Reporting via Technology (REPORT) Act, sponsored by Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Brandon.

The measure, a companion to a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, now heads to President Joe Biden.

The measure would require websites and social media platforms to report violations of federal trafficking and enticement and increase penalties for failure to report exploitative content, Lee’s office said in a news release. The legislation would also increase the time evidence that has been submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline is preserved by websites and social media platforms to give law enforcement more time to investigate and prosecute.

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“The REPORT Act will help fight against the exploitation of children online by strengthening existing reporting procedures and requiring companies to disclose crimes involving child sexual abuse to NCMEC,” Lee said in the release. “I applaud both the House and Senate for passing this crucial legislation that will help law enforcement quickly identify and prosecute perpetrators to protect our children from threats online."

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: House passes Laurel Lee's bill to address online exploitation