To encourage States to voluntarily pass laws to authorize civil damages and equitable relief for nonconsensual sexual protection barrier removal, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
The Consent is Key Act encourages states to pass laws making nonconsensual sexual protection barrier removal (commonly known as stealthing) a basis for civil lawsuits. States that enact such laws become eligible for increased funding under the Sexual Assault Services Program (part of the Violence Against Women Act), with increases of up to 20% of their average recent grant amounts. The increase lasts for four years and can be provided up to four times. The bill authorizes million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Nonconsensual sexual protection barrier removal is defined as removing a condom, dental dam, or other barrier against sexual fluids during sexual contact without the consent of all persons involved.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Incentivizes states to pass laws creating civil liability for nonconsensual removal of sexual protection barriers (stealthing) by providing up to 20% increases in Sexual Assault Services Program formula grant funding for states that enact such laws.
Who Benefits
- Victims of nonconsensual barrier removal (new civil remedy)
- Sexual assault service organizations (increased federal funding)
Who Bears Costs
- Persons who engage in nonconsensual barrier removal (new civil liability)
- State legislatures (incentivized to pass new laws)
Key Policy Areas
{'domain': 'Criminal Justice', 'evidence': 'Encourages states to create new civil causes of action for sexual misconduct'}, {'domain': 'Social Welfare', 'evidence': 'Increases Sexual Assault Services Program funding for compliant states'}
Primary Purpose
Incentivizes states to pass laws creating civil liability for nonconsensual removal of sexual protection barriers (stealthing) by providing up to 20% increases in Sexual Assault Services Program formula grant funding for states that enact such laws.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Use federal grant incentives rather than direct federal criminalization to encourage state-level action on nonconsensual barrier removal, respecting federalism"
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMrs. Torres of California (for herself, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Norton, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Sexual assault service organizations, Sexual assault victims, Victims of nonconsensual barrier removal
State grant applicants, States that enact stealthing civil liability laws, States with qualifying laws
Positive-direction: States that enact stealthing civil liability laws, States with qualifying laws
Negative-direction: State grant applicants
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_attorney_general"
- → Attorney General of the United States
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A grant under section 41601 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (Sexual Assault Services Program)
Removal of a sexual protection barrier from a body part or object being used for sexual contact without the consent of each person involved
May include a condom (including internal condom), dental dam, or any other barrier against sexual fluids during sexual contact
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