Justice for Allie Act

Overview

• Bill: HR 7715 (Justice for Allie Act)
  
• Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
  
• Introduced: February 25, 2026 by Rep. Stevens (for herself and Rep. Dingell) with several co-sponsors (Barrett, Stevens, Moulton, Dingell)
  

• Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

• Purpose: Amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to criminalize the coercive inducement or coercion of protected adults to send or transmit an intimate visual depiction, extending federal protection against sexual exploitation to a broader class of vulnerable adults.

Key Provisions

• New offense introduced: “Sexual Exploitation of Protected Adults” (proposed 18 U.S.C. chapter 109A, new § 2245A)
  • Offense elements:
  • Using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce
  • Knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing a protected adult to send or transmit an intimate visual depiction
  • The intent to harm the protected adult
  • Penalties:
  • First offense: fined, imprisoned for up to 1 year, or both
  • Second or subsequent offense: fined, imprisoned for up to 2 years, or both
• Definition of “protected adult” (key criteria):
  • An individual 18 years or older
  • At the time of offense, unable to protect themselves from abuse, neglect, or exploitation due to one or more listed conditions
• Listed conditions (examples of protected statuses):
  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Intellectual developmental disorder or intellectual disability
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Down syndrome
  • Major neurocognitive disorder
  • Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
  • Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders
• Definition of “harm”:
  • Broadly includes physical, psychological, financial, or reputational harm
• Legislative housekeeping:
  • Adds a new § 2245A to Chapter 109A
  • Updates the table of sections to reflect the new offense

Who is Affected

• Protected adults who have disabilities or conditions that impair their ability to protect themselves at the time of an incident (as defined by the bill)
• Individuals who attempt to/coercively cause protected adults to share intimate visual depictions
• Federal jurisdiction applies when communications, transportation, or other interstate/foreign commerce mechanisms are involved

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

• Introduction date: February 25, 2026
• Referral: Committee on the Judiciary (as of the bill text)
• The bill follows standard federal criminal statute amendment processes:
  • Defines new offense, elements, and penalties
  • Provides explicit definitions to guide enforcement and interpretation
  • Requires addition to the federal statutory table of sections for clarity and indexing

Notes and Context

• The act emphasizes protection against coercive exploitation of adults with disabilities in the realm of intimate image sharing.
• Penalties are modest for a first offense (up to 1 year) and higher for repeat offenses (up to 2 years), reflecting the sensitive nature of the offense and the vulnerability of the target group.
• The bill aligns with broader efforts to combat online and offline sexual exploitation and leverage federal reach when interstate or international elements are involved.

If you’d like, I can provide a comparison with existing federal statutes on exploitation or summarize related state-level protections for context.