Sue VOYEURS Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Sue VOYEURS Act creates a federal civil remedy for nonconsensual capture of intimate visual depictions. A person whose intimate image is captured without consent, by someone who knows or recklessly disregards the lack of consent, and under circumstances where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, may sue in federal district court. For minors, incapacitated people, deceased people, or people otherwise unable to sue, a guardian, estate representative, family member, or court-appointed person may assume the right, but the defendant cannot be that representative. The bill authorizes actual damages or liquidated damages of $150,000 for each intimate visual depiction, giving victims a concrete civil enforcement tool even when criminal law is unavailable or insufficient.
Who Benefits and How
Victims of voyeuristic image capture benefit from a federal private right of action and monetary remedies. Minors and incapacitated victims benefit because guardians, family members, estate representatives, or court-appointed people can sue for them. Privacy-rights attorneys benefit from a clear statutory claim and damages framework. Survivor advocacy organizations benefit from a civil-law tool for nonconsensual intimate-image abuse.
Who Bears the Burden and How
People who capture intimate images without consent face federal civil liability and damages of up to $150,000 per depiction. Federal district courts must hear claims and resolve privacy, consent, and representation disputes. Defendants lose control over whether a victim has a federal forum for civil relief. Estate and guardianship representatives must manage litigation decisions for victims who cannot sue directly.
Key Provisions
- Creates a federal civil action for nonconsensual capture of intimate visual depictions.
- Authorizes guardians, family members, estate representatives, or court appointees to sue for certain victims.
- Provides actual damages or $150,000 in liquidated damages for each intimate visual depiction.
- Bars the defendant from serving as the representative for a victim who cannot sue directly.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Creates a federal civil action for people whose intimate visual depictions are captured without consent under circumstances where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Key Policy Areas
Civil Rights, Privacy, Courts
Primary Purpose
Creates a federal civil action for people whose intimate visual depictions are captured without consent under circumstances where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Victims of voyeuristic image capture
- Minors and incapacitated victims
- Privacy-rights attorneys
- Survivor advocacy organizations
Identified Costs
- Nonconsensual image capturers
- Federal district courts
- Civil defendants
- Estate representatives
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Mace introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology