[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2744 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2744

     To provide grants to transit operators and airports for human 
trafficking awareness, education, and prevention efforts, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 7, 2023

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To provide grants to transit operators and airports for human 
trafficking awareness, education, and prevention efforts, 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 ``Reduce Human Trafficking through 
Transportation Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION 
              GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in 
this section as the ``Secretary'') shall establish within the Office of 
the Secretary a grant program to provide grants to transit operators 
and airports to address human trafficking awareness, education, and 
prevention efforts.
    (b) Transit Operator Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Of the amounts made available for each 
        fiscal year under subsection (d), the Secretary shall set aside 
        $10,000,000 to provide grants to entities described in 
        paragraph (2)(A) to address human trafficking awareness, 
        education, and prevention efforts, including by--
                    (A) coordinating human trafficking prevention 
                efforts across multimodal transportation operations 
                within a community; and
                    (B) accomplishing the best practices and 
                recommendations provided by the Department of 
                Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.
            (2) Distribution.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall distribute 
                amounts set aside under paragraph (1) to--
                            (i) the 75 transit operators in the United 
                        States with the highest annual ridership, based 
                        on the most recent data available; and
                            (ii) as the Secretary determines to be 
                        appropriate, a transit operator not described 
                        in clause (i) that serves an area with a high 
                        prevalence of human trafficking, on application 
                        of the transit operator.
                    (B) Priority; considerations.--In distributing the 
                amounts set aside under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
                shall--
                            (i) give priority in grant amounts to 
                        entities referred to in subparagraph (A) that 
                        serve regions with a higher prevalence of human 
                        trafficking; and
                            (ii) take into consideration the effect the 
                        amounts would have on surrounding areas.
                    (C) Consultation.--In distributing the amounts set 
                aside under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult 
                with the Department of Transportation Advisory 
                Committee on Human Trafficking in determining the 
                amounts to be distributed to each recipient to ensure 
                the best use of the funds.
    (c) Airport Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Of the amounts made available for each 
        fiscal year under subsection (d), the Secretary shall set aside 
        $10,000,000 to provide grants to entities described in 
        paragraph (2)(A) to address human trafficking awareness, 
        education, and prevention efforts, including by--
                    (A) coordinating human trafficking prevention 
                efforts across multimodal transportation operations 
                within a community; and
                    (B) accomplishing the best practices and 
                recommendations provided by the Department of 
                Transportation Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.
            (2) Distribution.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall distribute 
                amounts set aside under paragraph (1) to--
                            (i) the 75 airports in the United States 
                        with the highest number of passenger 
                        enplanements annually, based on the most recent 
                        data available; and
                            (ii) as the Secretary determines to be 
                        appropriate, an airport not described in clause 
                        (i) that serves an area with a high prevalence 
                        of human trafficking, on application of the 
                        airport.
                    (B) Priority; considerations.--In distributing the 
                amounts set aside under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
                shall--
                            (i) give priority in grant amounts to 
                        entities referred to in subparagraph (A) that 
                        serve regions with a higher prevalence of human 
                        trafficking; and
                            (ii) take into consideration the effect the 
                        amounts would have on surrounding areas.
                    (C) Consultation.--In distributing the amounts set 
                aside under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult 
                with the Department of Transportation Advisory 
                Committee on Human Trafficking in determining the 
                amounts to be distributed to each recipient to ensure 
                the best use of the funds.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Office of the Secretary to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
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