ECCHO Act
Bipartisan Bill Targets Online Predators Who Force Children to Commit Violence or Self-Harm
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill creates a new federal crime for anyone who uses threats, fraud, or manipulation to force a child under 18 to harm themselves or others. It specifically targets people who use the internet or mail to trick or scare kids into dangerous behavior.
- The law covers several serious actions, including forcing a child to attempt suicide, commit murder, or start fires. It also makes it illegal to coerce a child into 'swatting'—making fake police reports to send emergency teams to someone's home—or 'doxxing' someone by posting their private information online.
- The penalties for these crimes are very high. If someone forces a child to attempt suicide or kill another person, they could face life in prison. For other harmful acts, like forcing a child to hurt an animal or commit arson, the person could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.
- This policy is designed to protect children from online predators who use fear or embarrassment to make them do things they wouldn't otherwise do. It treats these actions as a form of child exploitation, giving federal investigators more tools to catch and prosecute those responsible.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
The bill creates a new category of federal criminal offense with very severe penalties — up to life in prison for coercing a minor to attempt suicide or murder, and up to 30 years for other covered acts. While targeted at predatory adults, the bill also amends juvenile delinquency provisions (Section 5032), potentially allowing minors who commit these offenses to be tried as adults in federal court. This could expand the federal criminal justice system's reach over a new set of defendants.
Disabilities
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articles
FBI Hunting Down Members of 764 Network
The ECCHO Act seeks to tackle individuals coercing children into harming themselves or others by proposing life in prison for the most serious offenses. The legislation aims to close gaps in federal law that currently do not explicitly prohibit this type of online coercion.
FBI investigating more than 350 subjects tied to violent online '764' network
As the FBI probes the '764' network, Senators Grassley and Durbin have introduced the ECCHO Act to create a penalty of up to life in prison for coercing a victim into suicide or causing a death, addressing a 'disturbing rise' in online criminal networks targeting children.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
ECCHO Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(11)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.