HONEST Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9545 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9545

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for increased
 penalties for sex offenses committed by officers of the United States
            and Members of Congress, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2026

  Mr. Fuller introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for increased
 penalties for sex offenses committed by officers of the United States
            and Members of Congress, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Holding Officials to Necessary
Ethical Standards and Transparency Act of 2026'' or the ``HONEST Act of
2026''.

SEC. 2. INCREASED PENALTIES FOR SEX OFFENSES COMMITTED BY OFFICERS OF
              THE UNITED STATES AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Female Genital Mutilation.--Section 116(a) of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``, or if the offender is an officer of the United States or
a Member of Congress, be fined under this title, and punished by death
or imprisoned for any term of years or for life''.
    (b) Penalties for Civil Rights Offenses Involving Sexual
Misconduct.--Section 250(b) of title 18, United States Code, is
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking the period at the end
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) in the case of an offense with respect to which the
        offender is an officer of the United States or a Member of
        Congress, fined under this title, and punished by death or
        imprisonment for any term of years or for life.''.
    (c) Sex Trafficking of Children or by Force, Fraud, or Coercion.--
Section 1591(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) if the offense was carried out by an officer of the
        United States or a Member of Congress, by a fine under this
        title, and by death or imprisonment for any term of years or
        for life.''.
    (d) Aggravated Sexual Abuse.--Section 2241 of title 18, United
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at
        the end the following: ``, or if the offender is an officer of
        the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this
        title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of
        years or for life'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting before the period at
        the end the following: ``, or if the offender is an officer of
        the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this
        title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of
        years or for life''; and
            (3) in subsection (c), by inserting after ``not less than
        30 years or for life'' the following: ``, or if the offender is
        an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be
        fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for
        any term of years or for life''.
    (e) Sexual Abuse of a Minor, a Ward, or an Individual in Federal
Custody.--Section 2243 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Offenses by Federal Officials or Members of Congress.--
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress,
commits an offense under this section shall be fined under this title,
and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for
life.''.
    (f) Abusive Sexual Contact.--Section 2244 of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Offenses by Federal Officials or Members of Congress.--
Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of Congress,
commits an offense under this section shall be fined under this title,
and punished by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for
life.''.
    (g) Sexual Exploitation of Children.--Section 2251(e) of title 18,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after ``not less than 35
years nor more than life'' the following: ``, but if such person is an
officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, such person shall
be fined under this title, and punished by death or imprisonment for
any term of years or for life''.
    (h) Selling or Buying of Children.--Section 2251A of title 18,
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting after ``and by a fine
        under this title'' the following: ``, or if the offender is an
        officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined
        under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any
        term of years or for life''; and
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting after ``and by a fine
        under this title'' the following: ``, or if the offender is an
        officer of the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined
        under this title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any
        term of years or for life''.
    (i) Certain Activities Relating to Material Involving the Sexual
Exploitation of Minors.--Section 2252(b) of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a
        Member of Congress, violates, or attempts or conspires to
        violate, subsection (a), shall be fined under this title, and
        punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for
        life.''.
    (j) Certain Activities Relating to Material Constituting or
Containing Child Pornography.--Section 2252A(b) of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a
        Member of Congress, violates, or attempts or conspires to
        violate, subsection (a), shall be fined under this title, and
        punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for
        life.''.
    (k) Sexual Abuse.--Section 2422 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at
        the end the following: ``, or if the offender is an officer of
        the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this
        title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of
        years or for life''.
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting before the period at
        the end the following: ``, or if the offender is an officer of
        the United States or a Member of Congress, be fined under this
        title, and punished by death or imprisoned for any term of
        years or for life''.
    (l) Transportation of Minors.--Section 2423 of title 18, United
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as
        subsection (h) through (j), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Offenses by Federal Officials.--Whoever, being an officer of
the United States or a Member of Congress, commits an offense under
this section shall be fined under this title, and punished by death or
imprisonment for any term of years or for life.''.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL ADULTERY OFFENSE FOR OFFICERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND
              MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Offense.--Chapter 93 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1925. Adultery by officers of the United States and Members of
              Congress
    ``Whoever, being an officer of the United States or a Member of
Congress, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly
engages in sexual intercourse (including genital-genital, oral-genital,
anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or
opposite sex) with a person, and at the time of such conduct, the
officer or Member or the person with whom the officer or Member engaged
in such conduct, was married to another person, shall be fined under
this title, and imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 93 of
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:

``1925. Adultery by officers of the United States and Members of
                            Congress.''.
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