House approves Kayleigh’s Law to grant lifelong protection for federal crime victims

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 8481, known as “Kayleigh’s Law,” after a voice vote on Monday. Sponsored by Arizona GOP Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, the bill seeks to extend the lifetime no-contact protections already enacted in Arizona and Wisconsin to all victims of federal sex crimes and violent felonies. Under the proposal, federal courts must issue permanent injunctions that bar any direct or indirect contact with the offender, even after prison, probation, or supervised release ends.

Hamadeh cited more than a thousand state survivors who now enjoy such lifelong shields and argued that victims should never have to re-engage with their abusers once a sentence expires. The legislation honors Kayleigh Kozak, a child abuse survivor whose case exemplified the system’s shortcomings. The measure still requires Senate approval and the signature of President Donald Trump before it can take effect.