H.R. 4371 · 119th Congress

Kayla Hamilton Act

Introduced on Jul 14, 2025 by Russell Fry (R-SC-7). 2 cosponsors, all from the sponsor's party. Latest action (Dec 17, 2025): Received in the Senate.

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Jul 14, 2025
Cosponsors
2
0 from the other party
Policy area
Crime and Law Enforcement
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to enhance efforts to combat the trafficking of children.

Subjects

  • Border security and unlawful immigration
  • Child safety and welfare
  • Detention of persons
  • Human trafficking
  • Immigration status and procedures
  • Juvenile crime and gang violence
  • Smuggling and trafficking

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Introduced in House, Jul 14, 2025). Public domain.

Kayla Hamilton Act

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider additional information when it makes placement determinations for unaccompanied alien children in its custody. Under federal law, an unaccompanied alien child is a minor with no lawful immigration status and no parent or legal guardian in the United States to provide care and physical custody.

Current law requires HHS to (1) place a child in the least restrictive setting that is in the child's best interest, and (2) assess the safety and suitability of a sponsor prior to placing a child with that sponsor.

In determining the least restrictive setting, this bill requires (currently, permits) HHS to consider the child's danger to self, danger to the community, and flight risk. Additionally, the bill requires placement in a secure facility in the case of a child who is 13 years of age or older and has gang-related markings or tattoos or a history of gang-related arrests or criminal conduct.

In assessing the safety and suitability of a sponsor, this bill requires HHS to collect and provide to the Department of Homeland Security information about all adult residents of the household, including name, date of birth, Social Security number, immigration status, contact information, and the results of all background and criminal records checks. The bill also prohibits HHS from placing a child with a sponsor who is unlawfully present in the United States.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Russell FryR-SC-7Sponsor

Republicans · 2

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Motion to Recommit
    Dec 16, 2025· House· Procedural· Failed 208–218
  2. On Passage
    Dec 16, 2025· House· Passage· Passed 225–201

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Jul 14, 2025Introduced in House
  2. Jul 14, 2025Introduced in House
  3. Jul 14, 2025 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  4. Sep 10, 2025 · HouseCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  5. Sep 10, 2025 · HouseOrdered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 16 - 13.
  6. Oct 17, 2025Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-345.
  7. Oct 17, 2025 · HouseReported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-345.
  8. Oct 17, 2025 · HousePlaced on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 297.
  9. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseRules Committee Resolution H. Res. 951 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632 and H.R. 4371. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, under a structured rule and H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632, and H.R. 4371 under a closed rule. The resolution provides one motion to recommit on each bill.
  10. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseRule H. Res. 951 passed House.
  11. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseConsidered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 951. (consideration: CR H5921-5927)
  12. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseRule provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632 and H.R. 4371. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 4776, under a structured rule and H.R. 1366, H.R. 845, H.R. 3616, H.R. 3632, and H.R. 4371 under a closed rule. The resolution provides one motion to recommit on each bill.
  13. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4371.
  14. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseThe previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  15. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseMs. Stansbury moved to recommit to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR H5927)
  16. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseThe previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
  17. Dec 16, 2025 · HousePOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate H.R. 4371, the Chair put the question on motion to recommit and announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Stansbury demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
  18. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5933-5934)
  19. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseOn motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 208 - 218 (Roll no. 339).House · Roll call 339
  20. Dec 16, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 201 (Roll no. 340). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H5921-5922)House · Roll call 340
  21. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseOn passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 201 (Roll no. 340). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H5921-5922)House · Roll call 340
  22. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  23. Dec 16, 2025 · HouseThe title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  24. Dec 17, 2025 · SenateReceived in the Senate.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. Association of American Medical Colleges4 reports
    $2.9M reported (all issues)Federal contractor: ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGESAI match · 100%
  2. American Civil Liberties Union3 reports
    $920K reported (all issues)
  3. Federation for American Immigration Reform3 reports
    $110K reported (all issues)
  4. KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE3 reports
    $390K reported (all issues)
  5. Friends Committee on National Legislation2 reports
    $2M reported (all issues)
  6. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)1 report
  7. Community Change Action1 report
    $30K reported (all issues)
  8. MOVEON.ORG CIVIC ACTION1 report
  9. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners1 report
    $24K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2025, 2026.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.