House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., introduced the Survivor’s Voice Protection Act on Wednesday after a monthslong review of government failures tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
The bill would define grooming in federal law as conduct intended to build an emotional connection with a minor through manipulation, trust-building or influence to facilitate sexual conduct. It would also make nondisclosure agreements void and unenforceable if they bar anyone, including an alleged victim, from disclosing sexual abuse. The measure would apply retroactively to existing agreements.
The legislation further creates a duty to report grooming to law enforcement. It says a guardian, trustee, executor, administrator, receiver, conservator, or any person acting in a fiduciary capacity, including officers, directors, employees and agents, must report grooming of a minor.
Comer said the federal government 'for decades failed the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes.' He said the bill is meant to protect survivors and hold abusers accountable. Reps. Nancy Mace, Virginia Foxx, Lauren Boebert and Anna Paulina Luna joined as original co-sponsors.
Why it matters: the bill goes after a legal tool that can protect abusers as much as victims. It also puts reporting obligations around grooming into federal law, which is a direct challenge to secrecy and institutional passivity.
The big picture: the House Oversight Committee's review of Epstein and Maxwell included 19 depositions and transcribed interviews, including with former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The committee also released about 65,000 pages of documents from the Epstein estate, the Justice Department, interview transcripts and Epstein bank records.