When sexually explicit images surface on the Internet without at least one party's consent, they often bounce around from site to site, and there's often not much the victim can do about it.

The victims — predominantly women — can't threaten legal action against websites that host the images. In many states, they can't threaten legal action against whoever put the images online, either. Oftentimes the images don't even belong to them — someone else took the photos, perhaps, so the victim of the violation doesn't own the copyright.

SEE ALSO: How to help when someone uses intimate photos as revenge

But on Thursday, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would, for the first time, offer a bevy of legal protections nationwide to victims of what's known as "revenge porn."

We are talking about my bill to end nonconsensual pornograhy aka #revengeporn NOW @RepRyanCostello @RepKClark pic.twitter.com/JVj6N39hob — Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) July 14, 2016

"The damage caused by these attacks can crush careers, tear apart families, and, in the worst cases, has led to suicide,” Speier said in a statement on Thursday. “What makes these acts even more despicable is that many predators have gleefully acknowledged that the vast majority of their victims have no way to fight back."

Should Speier's bill become law, those who upload sexually explicit images without consent could face significant fines and jail time. Websites that host the images could also face criminal charges.

"Celebrities and other high profile victims might be able take on these predators in civil courts, but the average person can’t afford that option," Speier said. "Even more disturbing is the number of victims who have mustered the courage and strength to pursue criminal charges, only to learn there is no law that protects them. My bill will fix that appalling legal failure.”

Holly Jacobs considered suicide after images were posted w/out her consent & before she founded the @CCRInitiative pic.twitter.com/AvrJUkuQ0i — Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) July 14, 2016

Though 34 states have various laws on the books that criminalize revenge porn in some form or fashion, a federal law would uniformly outline what is punishable. A federal law would also alleviate local law enforcement from having to pursue cases across state lines, which often happens as images make their way across the Web.

Without a federal law in place, sites and social networks such as Google, Facebook and reddit may be better equipped to stop the spread of revenge porn than the law.

Those companies released new policies in early 2015 banning revenge porn. That was a huge development, given perpetrators of revenge porn want the images to spread — the point, after all, is generally to shame the person pictured. And if social media virality is taken out of the equation, it's more difficult for revenge porn images to make rounds on the Internet.

But the bill has its detractors.

The ACLU has voiced concerns that revenge porn legislation generally criminalizes "the sharing of nude images that people lawfully own," and the group believes legislation preventing revenge porn should make it clear that the perpetrator intended to inflict harm on the victim.

Whether other lawmakers seize on those criticisms remains to be seen. So far, Speier's bill is reportedly backed by two Republicans and two Democrats.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.