Rep. Derek Schmidt backs legislation to fight child exploitation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (November 25, 2025) – Congressman Derek Schmidt is cosponsoring three bipartisan bills to strengthen federal work combating the exploitation of children, his office announced today.
“When I served as Kansas attorney general, we made fighting crimes against children a top priority for our state,” Schmidt said. “As a member of Congress, I now serve in a position to support those who are carrying on the front-line work of protecting children from abuse and exploitation each and every day.”
Last week, Schmidt cosponsored the ENFORCE Act (H.R. 4831) to close loopholes in the federal obscenity statute that currently leaves offenders less accountable when they create child sexual abuse material using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. Schmidt also recently cosponsored the STOP CSAM Act (H.R. 3921), which strengthens federal laws requiring online platforms to assist in combating child sexual abuse materials on their platforms.
He also has cosponsored the PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1274), which would reauthorize and strengthen the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program. The legislation proposes to increase funding for ICACs and to update the national strategy to prevent child exploitation and to strengthen ICAC task forces.
“The ways in which sex offenders can exploit children are multiplying as fast as online technology is evolving,” Schmidt said. “We need to redouble our efforts for the law to keep pace.”
In addition to the three bills to strengthen enforcement, Schmidt is backing other measures to support crime victims, including victims of child exploitation. Schmidt is a lead cosponsor of the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act, a bipartisan bill to shore up funding for crime victim support grants, including those supporting child victims (H.R. 909). He also is also a cosponsor of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (H.R. 4323), which would vacate convictions for certain crimes committed by victims while being trafficked.
For several years, Schmidt served on the law enforcement advisory committee of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. As a Kansas state senator, he was a principal author of the Kansas version of Jessica’s Law, which imposes life prison sentences for violent sex offenders who prey on children. And as Kansas attorney general, he led that office while it sent more child abusers to prison for life than any prior administration and also helped lead the multi-year effort to overhaul and strengthen Kansas state laws against human trafficking.
“Sadly, protecting children from abuse and exploitation requires a sustained effort by people of goodwill at every level of government and throughout civil society,” Schmidt said. “We are committed to continuing to do our part to protect our kids.