Grassley, Durbin Advance Bipartisan Packages in National Defense Authorization Act to Crack Down on Crime and Protect Kids Online

Grassley, Durbin Advance Bipartisan Packages in National Defense Authorization Act to Crack Down on Crime and Protect Kids Online

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are advancing two legislative packages in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fight crime nationwide and protect kids online. The bipartisan bills target online child predators, retail theft, illicit xylazine and prison contraband. The senators' legislative proposals build on their longtime efforts to enhance accountability and boost protective measures for kids online.

"As I often remind Iowans at my county meetings, I'm always working to find bipartisan agreement to solve everyday issues impacting American families. My work with Senator Durbin on commonsense legislation to curb crime is a prime example of bipartisanship in action. Together, we're committed to making America a safer place to live and raise a family, and we'll keep fighting to move our bills forward as part of Congress' annual defense legislation," Grassley said.

"The Senate Judiciary Committee has the full range of political ideologies and beliefs, but we've found an issue that transcends partisanship and shows promise for true legislative advancement: reining in Big Tech and protecting child safety. The American people are demanding action to hold tech companies accountable for harming kids. Our bipartisan proposals are common sense, and should be included in the NDAA," Durbin said.

The first Grassley-Durbin package filed to the NDAA includes:

• The James T. Woods Act, to update lax federal sentencing laws penalizing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and create two new crimes to address sextortion and violent online criminal networks, like 764, who coerce children into harming themselves or others.
• The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, to improve the federal response to organized retail crime and establish new tools to recover stolen goods.
• The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, to classify xylazine as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, while protecting its legitimate use by veterinarians, farmers and ranchers.
• The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, to enhance safety and accountability in federal prisons by stemming the flow of deadly contraband cell phones.

The second Grassley-Durbin package includes:

• The DEFIANCE Act, to combat nonconsensual, sexually-explicit deepfake images.
• The STOP CSAM Act, to crack down on the proliferation of CSAM online by allowing victims to sue companies that host it.

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