[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3536. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Mr. Toomey) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3399 proposed by Mr. 
Shelby to the bill H.R. 6147, making appropriations for the Department 
of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes; which was ordered to 
lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in division B, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. __. FIGHTING ILLICIT NETWORKS AND DETECTING TRAFFICKING.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Fight 
     Illicit Networks and Detect Trafficking Act'' or the ``FIND 
     Trafficking Act''.
       (b) GAO Study.--
       (1) Study required.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall conduct a study on how virtual currencies and 
     online marketplaces are used to facilitate sex and drug 
     trafficking that considers--
       (A) how online marketplaces, including the dark web, are 
     being used as platforms to buy, sell, or facilitate the 
     financing of goods or services associated with sex 
     trafficking or drug trafficking (specifically, opioids and 
     synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and 
     any precursor chemicals associated with manufacturing 
     fentanyl or fentanyl analogs) destined for, originating from, 
     or within the United States;
       (B) how financial payment methods, including virtual 
     currencies and peer-to-peer mobile payment services, are 
     being utilized by online marketplaces to facilitate the 
     buying, selling, or financing of goods and services 
     associated with sex or drug trafficking destined for, 
     originating from, or within the United States;
       (C) how virtual currencies are being used to facilitate the 
     buying, selling, or financing of goods and services 
     associated with sex or drug trafficking, destined for, 
     originating from, or within the United States, when an online 
     platform is not otherwise involved;
       (D) how illicit funds that have been transmitted online and 
     through virtual currencies are repatriated into the formal 
     banking system of the United States through money laundering 
     or other means;
       (E) the participants (state and nonstate actors) throughout 
     the entire supply chain that participate in or benefit from 
     the buying, selling, or financing of goods and services 
     associated with sex or drug trafficking (either through 
     online marketplaces or virtual currencies) destined for, 
     originating from, or within the United States;
       (F) Federal and State agency efforts to impede the buying, 
     selling, or financing of goods and services associated with 
     sex or drug trafficking destined for, originating from, or 
     within the United States, including efforts to prevent the 
     proceeds from sex or drug trafficking from entering the 
     United States banking system;
       (G) how virtual currencies and their underlying 
     technologies can be used to detect and deter these illicit 
     activities; and
       (H) to what extent can the immutable and traceable nature 
     of virtual currencies contribute to the tracking and 
     prosecution of illicit funding.
       (2) Scope.--In paragraph (1), the term ``sex trafficking'' 
     means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, 
     obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the 
     purpose of a commercial sex act that is induced by force, 
     fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform 
     such act has not attained 18 years of age.
       (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 
     the United States shall submit a report to the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) summarizes the results of the study required under 
     subsection (b); and
       (2) contains any recommendations for legislative or 
     regulatory action that would improve the efforts of Federal 
     agencies to impede the use of virtual currencies and online 
     marketplaces in facilitating sex and drug trafficking.
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