Kayleigh’s Law Act of 2026

The Kayleigh’s Law Act of 2026 amends federal criminal law (Title 18 of the United States Code) to require federal courts to issue mandatory, lifetime no-contact orders against individuals convicted of certain violent or sexual federal crimes.

* **Defendants:** Individuals convicted of specified federal felony offenses, including violent crimes, sexual abuse or misconduct, sex trafficking, child pornography, child exploitation, and interstate stalking. * **Victims:** Victims of covered federal crimes who request a no-contact order, or who consent to the government requesting one on their behalf. * **Federal Courts:** Federal judges and court systems responsible for issuing, serving, and enforcing these no-contact orders.

* **Mandatory Injunctions:** If a defendant is convicted of a covered offense, the federal court **must** issue a no-contact order if requested by the victim or by the government with the victim's consent. * **Timing and Service:** The court must issue the order at the time of sentencing and serve it to the defendant during the sentencing proceeding. * **Broad Scope of Prohibited Contact:** The order bans all direct and indirect contact, including physical interactions, written, oral, electronic, or digital communications, interactions made through third parties, or contacts made via automated or technological systems. * **Duration:** The no-contact order remains in effect for the rest of the defendant's natural life, unless a court formally suspends or terminates it. * **Process to End or Suspend an Order:** An order can only be suspended or terminated through a formal court hearing where evidence is presented. * A **victim** may request a hearing to suspend or end the order by alleging a change in circumstances or that the conviction was pardoned or commuted. * A **defendant** may request a hearing to suspend or end the order only by alleging that the underlying conviction was dismissed or overturned on appeal. * **Penalties:** Violating a federal no-contact order is punishable as contempt of court. * **State Jurisdiction:** The bill explicitly states that federal no-contact orders do not affect or restrict their enforcement within state legal systems.

* **Victim Protections:** Federal courts are strictly prohibited from charging or collecting any fees from a victim for issuing a no-contact order. * The bill summary does not mention any specific federal appropriations, spending amounts, or general tax provisions.

* Mandatory orders apply only after a conviction for specific federal offenses defined in the bill. * Courts are only required to issue an order if the victim requests it or consents to the government requesting it. * Defendants cannot ask a court to remove or suspend the order simply due to a change in circumstances; they may only do so if their conviction is formally overturned or dismissed on appeal.

This bill mandates that federal courts issue lifetime, fee-free no-contact orders against individuals convicted of serious federal violent or sexual crimes whenever a victim requests one, establishing clear rules for court service, lifetime enforcement, contempt-of-court penalties, and limited conditions for removal.