H.R. 8481, the Kayleigh's Law Act of 2026, amends federal criminal law to require courts to issue lifetime no-contact orders against defendants convicted of certain violent or sexual offenses. Under the bill, judges must impose these permanent injunctions at sentencing whenever requested by the government, with the victim's consent, or by the victim directly, and violations would be treated as contempt of court. The orders would apply to felony crimes of violence and a specific list of sexual offenses under federal law, including sex trafficking, sexual abuse, child exploitation, and related crimes. The lifetime restriction could only be lifted or paused if the victim requests it due to a pardon, commutation, or change in circumstances, or if the defendant successfully has the conviction overturned on appeal, and any such request would require a court hearing. Victims would not be charged any fee to obtain these protective orders, and the law would work alongside, not replace, any similar protections available under state law.
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