Congressman Biggs’s Statement on U.S. House Passage of Kayleigh’s Law

September 1, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 8481, Kayleigh’s Law, by voice vote. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08), requires federal courts to issue permanent no-contact orders prohibiting certain convicted violent and sex offenders from contacting their victims if requested by the victim. Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) is an original cosponsor of the bill. Kayleigh’s Law was inspired by the experience of sexual abuse survivor Kayleigh Kozak, who learned her abuser was seeking to terminate his lifetime probation. When Kayleigh sought a protective order against the man who had abused her as a child, she was shocked to discover that the court required evidence of a recent encounter between them before it could consider her request—effectively preventing her from obtaining protection unless her abuser first attempted to reenter her life. Determined to ensure other victims would not face the same terrifying obstacle, Kayleigh first advocated for reform at the Arizona Legislature. In 2021, then-State Senator Sine Kerr spearheaded legislation allowing survivors to petition a judge for a lifetime no-contact order against offenders convicted of certain violent crimes, including sex trafficking and child sexual abuse. Kayleigh and Senator Kerr’s determined efforts resulted in Arizona becoming the first state in the nation to enact this important policy. Congressman Biggs issued the following statement: “Victims deserve lasting protections, and offenders who have committed heinous acts should not have the opportunity to reinsert themselves into the lives of those they harmed. This victim-centered, public safety-focused legislation ensures that victims of violent crime have meaningful protections at the federal level while also serving as a model for states seeking to better protect survivors. Kayleigh’s Law makes clear that our criminal justice system works for victims, not against them. I am grateful to Sine Kerr for leading this effort in the Arizona Legislature and to Congressman Hamadeh for bringing it to the federal level. I was pleased to help advance the bill through the Judiciary Committee, and I am grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support it received on the House floor.” After Arizona’s enactment of Kayleigh’s Law in 2021, other states soon followed. Today, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas, and Virginia have adopted similar policies designed to provide lasting protections for victims of violent crimes. H.R. 8481 now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration. ###