[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7566 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7566
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 20, 2022
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the punishment for
human trafficking in a school zone, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``No Trafficking Zones Act'' or the
``NTZ Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) Child sex trafficking can have devastating immediate
and long-term consequences, including health impacts,
psychological and physical trauma, and even death.
(2) While any child can be targeted by a trafficker,
research, data, survivors' lived experiences, and expertise
have revealed that traffickers often target vulnerable youth
who lack strong support networks, supervision, care, or basic
necessities, have low self-esteem, have experienced violence in
the past, are experiencing homelessness, are experiencing
academic difficulties, or are marginalized by society, and lure
them into forced labor and prostitution and other forms of
sexual exploitation. Traffickers are masters of manipulation
and prey upon vulnerabilities using psychological pressure,
intimidation, and drugs to control and sexually exploit the
child for their benefit.
(3) The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) has received reports of child sex trafficking in all 50
States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These
reports include incidents occurring in every type of community,
including suburban, rural, urban, and Tribal lands. In 2021,
NCMEC received more than 17,200 reports of possible child sex
trafficking.
(4) Of 22,326 trafficking victims and survivors identified
through contacts with the National Human Trafficking Hotline in
2019, at least 5,359 were under age 18.
(5) Many underage victims of sex trafficking are students
in the United States school system. No community, school,
socioeconomic group, or student demographic is immune.
(6) While the internet and social media make up the
majority of first encounters, traffickers regularly find young
people in shopping malls, through friends, at bus stops, and at
schools. Specifically, traffickers systematically target
vulnerable children and youth by frequenting locations where
young people congregate, including schools. They also use peers
or classmates, who befriend the target and slowly groom them
for the trafficker by bringing the young person along to
parties and other activities.
(7) A 2018 survey reported that 55 percent of young sex
trafficking survivors in Texas were trafficked while at school
or school activities and 60 percent of trafficked adults say
they were first groomed and solicited for trafficking on school
campuses.
(8) Schools can and should be safe havens for students.
Schools are best positioned to identify and report suspected
trafficking and connect affected students to critical services.
Students are more likely to report instances of sex
trafficking, attempted sex trafficking, or grooming for the
purposes of sex trafficking where they feel most safe from harm
and threats.
SEC. 3. INCREASED PUNISHMENT FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SCHOOL ZONES.
Section 1591 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
``(e)(1) Whoever violates subsection (a) in a school zone, or on,
or within 1,000 feet of, a premises on which a school-sponsored
activity is taking place, or on, or within 1,000 feet of a premises
owned by an institution of higher education, shall, in addition to the
punishment otherwise provided under this section, be imprisoned for not
more than 5 years.
``(2) In this subsection:
``(A) The term `school zone' has the meaning given such
term in section 921.
``(B) The term `school-sponsored activity' means any
activity that is produced, financed, arranged, supervised, or
coordinated by a school or a State educational agency or local
educational agency or is under the jurisdiction of a State
educational agency or local educational agency.
``(C) The terms `State educational agency' and `local
educational agency' have the meanings given those terms under
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965.
``(D) The term `institution of higher education' has the
meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).''.
SEC. 4. INCREASED PUNISHMENT FOR COERCION AND ENTICEMENT IN SCHOOL
ZONES.
Section 2422 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``individual who has not
attained the age of 18 years'' and inserting ``minor''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(c)(1) Whoever violates subsection (a) or (b) knowing, or having
reasonable cause to believe, that the violation is committed against a
minor who is enrolled in school and is, at the time of the violation,
in a school zone or on, or within 1,000 feet of, a premises on which a
school-sponsored activity is taking place, or against a person who is
enrolled in an institution of higher education and is, at the time of
the violation on or within 1,000 feet of a premises owned by the
institution of higher education, shall, in addition to the punishment
otherwise provided under this section, be imprisoned for not more than
5 years.
``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in a case in which a minor's
presence on, or within 1,000 feet of, the premises on which a school-
sponsored activity is taking place is not related to such school-
sponsored activity, or the person's presence on or within 1,000 feet of
the premises owned by the institution of higher education is not
related to their enrollment at such institution.
``(d) In this section:
``(1) The term `minor' means an individual who has not
attained 18 years of age.
``(2) The term `school' means a public, parochial, or
private school that provides elementary or secondary education.
``(3) The term `school zone' has the meaning given such
term in section 921.
``(4) The term `school-sponsored activity' means any
activity that is produced, financed, arranged, supervised, or
coordinated by a school or a State educational agency or local
educational agency or is under the jurisdiction of a State
educational agency or local educational agency.
``(5) The terms `State educational agency' and `local
educational agency' have the meanings given those terms under
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965.
``(6) The term `institution of higher education' has the
meaning given such term in section 101 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).''.
Passed the House of Representatives September 19, 2022.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.