[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 23348-23356]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
 DOMESTIC MINOR SEX TRAFFICKING DETERRENCE AND VICTIMS SUPPORT ACT OF 
                                  2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 2925) to establish a grant program to benefit 
victims of sex trafficking, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Domestic Minor Sex 
     Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It is one of 
     the fastest-growing, and the second largest, criminal 
     enterprise in the world. Human trafficking generates an 
     estimated profit of $32,000,000,000 per year, world wide.
       (2) In the United States, human trafficking is an 
     increasing problem. This criminal enterprise victimizes 
     individuals in the United States, many of them children, who 
     are forced into prostitution, and foreigners brought into the 
     country, often under false pretenses, who are coerced into 
     forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
       (3) Sex trafficking is one of the most lucrative areas of 
     human trafficking. Criminal gang members in the United States 
     are increasingly involved in recruiting young women and girls 
     into sex trafficking. Interviews with gang members indicate 
     that the gang members regard working as an individual who 
     solicits customers for a prostitute (commonly known as a 
     ``pimp'') to being as lucrative as trafficking in drugs, but 
     with a much lower chance of being criminally convicted.
       (4) National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, 
     Runaway and Throwaway Children, the definitive study of 
     episodes of missing children, found that of the children who 
     are victims of non-family abduction, runaway or throwaway 
     children, the police are alerted by family or guardians in 
     only 21 percent of the cases. In 79 percent of cases there is 
     no report and no police involvement, and therefore no 
     official attempt to find the child.
       (5) In 2007, the Administration of Children and Families, 
     Department of Health and Human Services, reported to the 
     Federal Government 265,000 cases of serious physical, sexual, 
     or psychological abuse of children.
       (6) Experts estimate that each year at least 100,000 
     children in the United States are exploited through 
     prostitution.
       (7) Children who have run away from home are at a high risk 
     of becoming exploited through sex trafficking. Children who 
     have run away multiple times are at much higher risk of not 
     returning home and of engaging in prostitution.
       (8) The vast majority of children involved in sex 
     trafficking have suffered previous sexual or physical abuse, 
     live in poverty, or have no stable home or family life. These 
     children require a comprehensive framework of specialized 
     treatment and mental health counseling that addresses post-
     traumatic stress, depression, and sexual exploitation.
       (9) The average age of first exploitation through 
     prostitution is 13. Seventy-five percent of minors exploited 
     through prostitution have a pimp. A pimp can earn $200,000 
     per year prostituting 1 sex trafficking victim.
       (10) Sex trafficking of minors is a complex and varied 
     criminal problem that requires a multi-disciplinary, 
     cooperative solution. Reducing trafficking will require the 
     Government to address victims, pimps, and johns, and to 
     provide training specific to sex trafficking for law 
     enforcement officers and prosecutors, and child welfare, 
     public health, and other social service providers.
       (11) Human trafficking is a criminal enterprise that 
     imposes significant costs on the economy of the United 
     States. Government and non-profit resources used to address 
     trafficking include those of law enforcement, the judicial 
     and penal systems, and social service providers. Without a 
     range of appropriate treatments to help trafficking victims 
     overcome the trauma they have experienced, victims will 
     continue to be exploited by criminals and unable to support 
     themselves, and will continue to require Government 
     resources, rather than being productive contributors to the 
     legitimate economy.
       (12) Human trafficking victims are often either not 
     identified as trafficking victims or are mischaracterized as 
     criminal offenders. Both private and public sector personnel 
     play a significant role in identifying trafficking victims 
     and potential victims, such as runaways. Examples of such 
     personnel include hotel staff, flight attendants, health care 
     providers, educators, and parks and recreation personnel. 
     Efforts to train these individuals can bolster law 
     enforcement efforts to reduce human trafficking.
       (13) Minor sex trafficking victims are under the age of 18. 
     Because minors do not have the capacity to consent to their 
     own commercial sexual exploitation, minor sex trafficking 
     victims should not be charged as criminal defendants. 
     Instead, minor victims of sex trafficking should have access 
     to treatment and services to help them recover from their 
     sexual exploitation, and should also be provided access to 
     appropriate compensation for harm they have suffered.
       (14) Several States have recently passed or are considering 
     legislation that establishes a presumption that a minor 
     charged with a prostitution offense is a severely trafficked 
     person and should instead be cared for through the child 
     protection system. Some such legislation also provides 
     support and services to minor sex trafficking victims who are 
     under the age of 18 years old. These services include safe 
     houses, crisis intervention programs, community-based 
     programs, and law-enforcement training to help officers 
     identify minor sex trafficking victims.
       (15) Sex trafficking of minors is not a problem that occurs 
     only in urban settings. This crime also exists in rural areas 
     and on Indian reservations. Efforts to address sex 
     trafficking of minors should include partnerships with 
     organizations that seek to address the needs of such 
     underserved communities.

     SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) the Attorney General should implement changes to the 
     National Crime Information Center database to ensure that--
       (A) a child entered into the database will be automatically 
     designated as an endangered juvenile if the child has been 
     reported missing not less than 3 times in a 1-year period;
       (B) the database is programmed to cross-reference newly 
     entered reports with historical records already in the 
     database; and
       (C) the database is programmed to include a visual cue on 
     the record of a child designated as an endangered juvenile to 
     assist law enforcement officers in recognizing the child and 
     providing the child with appropriate care and services;
       (2) funds awarded under subpart 1 of part E of title I of 
     the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
     U.S.C. 3750 et seq.) (commonly known as Byrne Grants) should 
     be used to provide education, training, deterrence, and 
     prevention programs relating to sex trafficking of minors;
       (3) States should--
       (A) treat minor victims of sex trafficking as crime victims 
     rather than as criminal defendants or juvenile delinquents;
       (B) adopt laws that--
       (i) establish the presumption that a child under the age of 
     18 who is charged with a prostitution offense is a minor 
     victim of sex trafficking;
       (ii) avoid the criminal charge of prostitution for such a 
     child, and instead consider such a child a victim of crime 
     and provide the child with appropriate services and 
     treatment; and
       (iii) strengthen criminal provisions prohibiting the 
     purchasing of commercial sex acts, especially with minors;
       (C) amend State statutes and regulations--
       (i) relating to crime victim compensation to make eligible 
     for such compensation any individual who is a victim of sex 
     trafficking as defined in section 1591(a) of title 18, United 
     States Code, or a comparable State law against commercial 
     sexual exploitation of children, and who would otherwise be 
     ineligible for such compensation due to participation in 
     prostitution activities because the individual is determined 
     to have contributed to, consented to, benefitted from, or 
     otherwise participated as a party to the crime for which the 
     individual is claiming injury; and
       (ii) relating to law enforcement reporting requirements to 
     provide for exceptions to such requirements for victims of 
     sex trafficking in the same manner as exceptions are provided 
     to victims of domestic violence or related crimes; and
       (4) demand for commercial sex with sex trafficking victims 
     must be deterred through consistent enforcement of criminal 
     laws against purchasing commercial sex.

     SEC. 4. SEX TRAFFICKING BLOCK GRANTS.

       (a) In General.--Section 204 of the Trafficking Victims 
     Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044c) is 
     amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 204. ENHANCING STATE AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO COMBAT 
                   TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS.

       ``(a) Sex Trafficking Block Grants.--
       ``(1) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(A) the term `Assistant Attorney General' means the 
     Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs 
     of the Department of Justice;
       ``(B) the term `eligible entity' means a State or unit of 
     local government that--
       ``(i) has significant criminal activity involving sex 
     trafficking of minors;
       ``(ii) has demonstrated cooperation between State, local, 
     and, where applicable, tribal law enforcement agencies, 
     prosecutors, and social service providers in addressing sex 
     trafficking of minors;
       ``(iii) has developed a workable, multi-disciplinary plan 
     to combat sex trafficking of minors, including--

[[Page 23349]]

       ``(I) the establishment of a shelter for minor victims of 
     sex trafficking, through existing or new facilities;
       ``(II) the provision of rehabilitative care to minor 
     victims of sex trafficking;
       ``(III) the provision of specialized training for law 
     enforcement officers and social service providers for all 
     forms of sex trafficking, with a focus on sex trafficking of 
     minors;
       ``(IV) prevention, deterrence, and prosecution of offenses 
     involving sex trafficking of minors;
       ``(V) cooperation or referral agreements with organizations 
     providing outreach or other related services to runaway and 
     homeless youth; and
       ``(VI) law enforcement protocols or procedures to screen 
     all individuals arrested for prostitution, whether adult or 
     minor, for victimization by sex trafficking and by other 
     crimes, such as sexual assault and domestic violence; and

       ``(iv) provides an assurance that, under the plan under 
     clause (iii), a minor victim of sex trafficking shall not be 
     required to collaborate with law enforcement to have access 
     to any shelter or services provided with a grant under this 
     section;
       ``(C) the term `minor victim of sex trafficking' means an 
     individual who is--
       ``(i) under the age of 18 years old, and is a victim of an 
     offense described in section 1591(a) of title 18, United 
     States Code, or a comparable State law; or
       ``(ii) at least 18 years old but not more than 20 years 
     old, and who, on the day before the individual attained 18 
     years of age, was described in clause (i) and was receiving 
     shelter or services as a minor victim of sex trafficking;
       ``(D) the term `qualified non-governmental organization' 
     means an organization that--
       ``(i) is not a State or unit of local government, or an 
     agency of a State or unit of local government;
       ``(ii) has demonstrated experience providing services to 
     victims of sex trafficking or related populations (such as 
     runaway and homeless youth), or employs staff specialized in 
     the treatment of sex trafficking victims; and
       ``(iii) demonstrates a plan to sustain the provision of 
     services beyond the period of a grant awarded under this 
     section; and
       ``(E) the term `sex trafficking of a minor' means an 
     offense described in subsection (a) of section 1591 of title 
     18, United States Code, the victim of which is a minor.
       ``(2) Grants authorized.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Assistant Attorney General, in 
     consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Children and 
     Families of the Department of Health and Human Services, is 
     authorized to award block grants to 6 eligible entities in 
     different regions of the United States to combat sex 
     trafficking, and not fewer than 1 of the block grants shall 
     be awarded to an eligible entity with a State population of 
     less than 5,000,000. Each eligible entity awarded a block 
     grant under this subparagraph shall certify that Federal 
     funds received under the block grant will be used to combat 
     only interstate sex trafficking.
       ``(B) Grant amount.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations under subsection (g) to carry out this 
     section, each grant awarded under this section shall be for 
     an amount not less than $2,000,000 and not greater than 
     $2,500,000.
       ``(C) Duration.--
       ``(i) In general.--A grant awarded under this section shall 
     be for a period of 1 year.
       ``(ii) Renewal.--

       ``(I) In general.--The Assistant Attorney General may renew 
     a grant under this section for two 1-year periods.
       ``(II) Priority.--In awarding grants in any fiscal year 
     after the first fiscal year in which grants are awarded under 
     this section, the Assistant Attorney General shall give 
     priority to applicants that received a grant in the preceding 
     fiscal year and are eligible for renewal under this 
     subparagraph, taking into account any evaluation of such 
     applicant conducted pursuant to paragraph (5), if available.

       ``(D) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, 
     consultation by the Assistant Attorney General with the 
     Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the 
     Department of Health and Human Services shall include 
     consultation with respect to grantee evaluations, the 
     avoidance of unintentional duplication of grants, and any 
     other areas of shared concern.
       ``(3) Use of funds.--
       ``(A) Allocation.--For each grant awarded under paragraph 
     (2)--
       ``(i) not less than 67 percent of the funds shall be used 
     by the eligible entity to provide shelter and services (as 
     described in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (B)) to 
     minor victims of sex trafficking through qualified 
     nongovernmental organizations; and
       ``(ii) not less than 10 percent of the funds shall be 
     awarded by the eligible entity to one or more qualified 
     nongovernmental organizations with annual revenues of less 
     than $750,000, to provide services to minor victims of sex 
     trafficking or training for service providers related to sex 
     trafficking of minors.
       ``(B) Authorized activities.--Grants awarded pursuant to 
     paragraph (2) may be used for--
       ``(i) providing shelter to minor victims of trafficking, 
     including temporary or long-term placement as appropriate;
       ``(ii) providing 24-hour emergency social services response 
     for minor victims of sex trafficking;
       ``(iii) providing minor victims of sex trafficking with 
     clothing and other daily necessities needed to keep such 
     victims from returning to living on the street;
       ``(iv) case management services for minor victims of sex 
     trafficking;
       ``(v) mental health counseling for minor victims of sex 
     trafficking, including specialized counseling and substance 
     abuse treatment;
       ``(vi) legal services for minor victims of sex trafficking;
       ``(vii) specialized training for law enforcement personnel, 
     social service providers, and public and private sector 
     personnel likely to encounter sex trafficking victims on 
     issues related to the sex trafficking of minors;
       ``(viii) funding salaries, in whole or in part, for law 
     enforcement officers, including patrol officers, detectives, 
     and investigators, except that the percentage of the salary 
     of the law enforcement officer paid for by funds from a grant 
     awarded under paragraph (2) shall not be more than the 
     percentage of the officer's time on duty that is dedicated to 
     working on cases involving sex trafficking of minors;
       ``(ix) funding salaries for State and local prosecutors, 
     including assisting in paying trial expenses for prosecution 
     of sex trafficking offenders;
       ``(x) investigation expenses for cases involving sex 
     trafficking of minors, including--

       ``(I) wire taps;
       ``(II) consultants with expertise specific to cases 
     involving sex trafficking of minors;
       ``(III) travel; and
       ``(IV) any other technical assistance expenditures;

       ``(xi) outreach and education programs to provide 
     information about deterrence and prevention of sex 
     trafficking of minors; and
       ``(xii) programs to provide treatment to individuals 
     charged or cited with purchasing or attempting to purchase 
     sex acts in cases where--

       ``(I) a treatment program can be mandated as a condition of 
     a sentence, fine, suspended sentence, or probation, or is an 
     appropriate alternative to criminal prosecution; and
       ``(II) the individual was not charged with purchasing or 
     attempting to purchase sex acts with a minor.

       ``(C) Prohibited activities.--Grants awarded pursuant to 
     paragraph (2) shall not be used for medical care (as defined 
     in section 2791(a)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 300gg-91)), except that grants may be used for mental 
     health counseling as authorized under subparagraph (B)(v).
       ``(4) Application.--
       ``(A) In general.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant 
     under this section shall submit an application to the 
     Assistant Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and 
     accompanied by such information as the Assistant Attorney 
     General may reasonably require.
       ``(B) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A) shall--
       ``(i) describe the activities for which assistance under 
     this section is sought; and
       ``(ii) provide such additional assurances as the Assistant 
     Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure 
     compliance with the requirements of this section.
       ``(5) Evaluation.--The Assistant Attorney General shall 
     enter into a contract with an academic or non-profit 
     organization that has experience in issues related to sex 
     trafficking of minors and evaluation of grant programs to 
     conduct an annual evaluation of grants made under this 
     section to determine the impact and effectiveness of programs 
     funded with grants awarded under paragraph (2).
       ``(b) Mandatory Exclusion.--Any grantee awarded funds under 
     this section that is found to have utilized grant funds for 
     any unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost 
     shall not be eligible for any grant funds awarded under the 
     block grant for 2 fiscal years following the year in which 
     the unauthorized expenditure or unallowable cost is reported.
       ``(c) Compliance Requirement.--A grantee shall not be 
     eligible to receive a grant under this section if within the 
     last 5 fiscal years, the grantee has been found to have 
     violated the terms or conditions of a Government grant 
     program by utilizing grant funds for unauthorized 
     expenditures or otherwise unallowable costs.
       ``(d) Administrative Cap.--The cost of administering the 
     grants authorized by this section shall not exceed 3 percent 
     of the total amount appropriated to carry out this section.
       ``(e) Audit Requirement.--For fiscal years 2012 and 2013, 
     the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall 
     conduct an audit of all 6 grantees awarded block grants under 
     this section.
       ``(f) Match Requirement.--A grantee of a grant under this 
     section shall match at least 25 percent of a grant in the 
     first year, 40 percent in the second year, and 50 percent in 
     the third year.
       ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to

[[Page 23350]]

     the Attorney General to carry out this section $15,000,000 
     for each of the fiscal years 2012 through 2014.''.
       (b) Sunset Provision.--Effective 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, section 204 of the Trafficking Victims 
     Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 14044c) is 
     amended to read as it read on the day before the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       (c) GAO Evaluation.--Not later than 30 months after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall conduct a study of and submit to Congress 
     a report evaluating the impact of this Act and the amendments 
     made by this Act in aiding minor victims of sex trafficking 
     in the United States and increasing the ability of law 
     enforcement agencies to prosecute sex trafficking offenders, 
     which shall include recommendations, if any, regarding any 
     legislative or administrative action the Comptroller General 
     determines appropriate.

     SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Reporting Requirement for State Child Welfare 
     Agencies.--
       (1) Requirement for state child welfare agencies to report 
     children missing or abducted.--Section 471(a) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)) is amended--
       (A) in paragraph (32), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in paragraph (33), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (33) the following:
       ``(34) provides that the State has in effect procedures 
     that require the State agency to promptly report information 
     on missing or abducted children to the law enforcement 
     authorities for entry into the National Crime Information 
     Center (NCIC) database of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation, established pursuant to section 534 of title 
     28, United States Code.''.
       (2) Regulations.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services shall promulgate regulations implementing the 
     amendments made by paragraph (1). The regulations promulgated 
     under this subsection shall include provisions to withhold 
     Federal funds from any State that fails to substantially 
     comply with the requirement imposed under the amendments made 
     by paragraph (1).
       (3) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
     shall take effect on the date that is 6 months after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, without regard to whether final 
     regulations required under paragraph (2) have been 
     promulgated.
       (b) Annual Statistical Summary.--Section 3701(c) of the 
     Crime Control Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 5779(c)) is amended by 
     inserting ``, which shall include the total number of reports 
     received and the total number of entries made to the National 
     Crime Information Center (NCIC) database of the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation, established pursuant to section 534 
     of title 28, United States Code.'' after ``this title''.
       (c) State Reporting.--Section 3702 of the Crime Control Act 
     of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 5780) is amended in paragraph (4)--
       (1) by striking ``(2)'' and inserting ``(3)'';
       (2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, and a photograph 
     taken within the previous 180 days'' after ``dental 
     records'';
       (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (4) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); 
     and
       (5) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
       ``(C) notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
     Children of each report received relating to a child reported 
     missing from a foster care family home or childcare 
     institution; and''.

     SEC. 6. PROTECTION FOR CHILD TRAFFICKING VICTIMS AND 
                   SURVIVORS.

       Section 225(b) of the Trafficking Victims Reauthorization 
     Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 7101 note) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) protects children exploited through prostitution by 
     including safe harbor provisions that--
       ``(A) treat an individual under 18 years of age who has 
     been arrested for offering to engage in or engaging in a 
     sexual act with another person in exchange for monetary 
     compensation as a victim of a severe form of trafficking in 
     persons;
       ``(B) prohibit the charging or prosecution of an individual 
     described in subparagraph (A) for a prostitution offense;
       ``(C) require the referral of an individual described in 
     subparagraph (A) to comprehensive service or community-based 
     programs that provide assistance to child victims of 
     commercial sexual exploitation, to the extent that 
     comprehensive service or community-based programs exist; and
       ``(D) provide that an individual described in subparagraph 
     (A) shall not be required to prove fraud, force, or coercion 
     in order to receive the protections described under this 
     paragraph; and''.

     SEC. 7. PROTECTION OF CHILD WITNESSES.

       Section 1514 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by inserting ``or its own motion,'' after ``attorney 
     for the Government''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``or investigation'' after ``Federal 
     criminal case'' each place it appears;
       (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) as 
     paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respectively;
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) In the case of a minor witness or victim, the court 
     shall issue a protective order prohibiting harassment or 
     intimidation of the minor victim or witness if the court 
     finds evidence that the conduct at issue is reasonably likely 
     to adversely affect the willingness of the minor witness or 
     victim to testify or otherwise participate in the Federal 
     criminal case or investigation. Any hearing regarding a 
     protective order under this paragraph shall be conducted in 
     accordance with paragraphs (1) and (3), except that the court 
     may issue an ex parte emergency protective order in advance 
     of a hearing if exigent circumstances are present. If such an 
     ex parte order is applied for or issued, the court shall hold 
     a hearing not later than 14 days after the date such order 
     was applied for or is issued.'';
       (D) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``(and not by reference to the complaint or other 
     document)''; and
       (E) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, in the second 
     sentence, by inserting before the period at the end the 
     following: ``, except that in the case of a minor victim or 
     witness, the court may order that such protective order 
     expires on the later of 3 years after the date of issuance or 
     the date of the eighteenth birthday of that minor victim or 
     witness''; and
       (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
       ``(c) Whoever knowingly and intentionally violates or 
     attempts to violate an order issued under this section shall 
     be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, 
     or both.
       ``(d)(1) As used in this section--
       ``(A) the term `course of conduct' means a series of acts 
     over a period of time, however short, indicating a continuity 
     of purpose;
       ``(B) the term `harassment' means a serious act or course 
     of conduct directed at a specific person that--
       ``(i) causes substantial emotional distress in such person; 
     and
       ``(ii) serves no legitimate purpose;
       ``(C) the term `immediate family member' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 115 and includes grandchildren;
       ``(D) the term `intimidation' means a serious act or course 
     of conduct directed at a specific person that--
       ``(i) causes fear or apprehension in such person; and
       ``(ii) serves no legitimate purpose;
       ``(E) the term `restricted personal information' has the 
     meaning give that term in section 119;
       ``(F) the term `serious act' means a single act of 
     threatening, retaliatory, harassing, or violent conduct that 
     is reasonably likely to influence the willingness of a victim 
     or witness to testify or participate in a Federal criminal 
     case or investigation; and
       ``(G) the term `specific person' means a victim or witness 
     in a Federal criminal case or investigation, and includes an 
     immediate family member of such a victim or witness.
       ``(2) For purposes of subparagraphs (B)(ii) and (D)(ii) of 
     paragraph (1), a court shall presume, subject to rebuttal by 
     the person, that the distribution or publication using the 
     Internet of a photograph of, or restricted personal 
     information regarding, a specific person serves no legitimate 
     purpose, unless that use is authorized by that specific 
     person, is for news reporting purposes, is designed to locate 
     that specific person (who has been reported to law 
     enforcement as a missing person), or is part of a government-
     authorized effort to locate a fugitive or person of interest 
     in a criminal, antiterrorism, or national security 
     investigation.''.

     SEC. 8. SENTENCING GUIDELINES.

       Pursuant to its authority under section 994 of title 28, 
     United States Code, and in accordance with this section, the 
     United States Sentencing Commission shall review and amend 
     the Federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements to 
     ensure--
       (1) that the guidelines provide an additional penalty 
     increase, if appropriate, above the sentence otherwise 
     applicable in Part J of Chapter 2 of the Guidelines Manual if 
     the defendant was convicted of a violation of section 1591 of 
     title 18, United States Code, or chapters 109A, 109B, 110 or 
     117 of title 18, United States Code; and
       (2) if the offense described in paragraph (1) involved 
     causing or threatening to cause physical injury to a person 
     under 18 years of age, in order to obstruct the 
     administration of justice, an additional penalty increase, if 
     appropriate, above the sentence otherwise applicable in Part 
     J of Chapter 2 of the Guidelines Manual.

     SEC. 9. PENALTIES FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

       (a) Certain Activities Relating to Material Involving the 
     Sexual Exploitation of Minors.--Section 2252(b)(2) of title 
     18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after ``but 
     if'' the following: ``any visual depiction

[[Page 23351]]

     involved in the offense involved a prepubescent minor or a 
     minor who had not attained 12 years of age, such person shall 
     be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 20 
     years, or if''.
       (b) Certain Activities Relating to Material Constituting or 
     Containing Child Pornography.--Section 2252A(b)(2) of title 
     18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after ``but, 
     if'' the following: ``any image of child pornography involved 
     in the offense involved a prepubescent minor or a minor who 
     had not attained 12 years of age, such person shall be fined 
     under this title and imprisoned for not more than 20 years, 
     or if''.

     SEC. 10. REDUCING UNNECESSARY PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COSTS 
                   OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
     shall coordinate with the heads of Federal departments and 
     independent agencies to--
       (1) determine which Government publications could be 
     available on Government websites and no longer printed and to 
     devise a strategy to reduce overall Government printing costs 
     beginning with fiscal year 2012, except that the Director 
     shall ensure that essential printed documents prepared for 
     Social Security recipients, Medicare beneficiaries, and other 
     populations in areas with limited internet access or use 
     continue to remain available;
       (2) establish government-wide Federal guidelines on 
     employee printing;
       (3) issue on the Office of Management and Budget's public 
     website the results of a cost-benefit analysis on 
     implementing a digital signature system and on establishing 
     employee printing identification systems, such as the use of 
     individual employee cards or codes, to monitor the amount of 
     printing done by Federal employees, except that the Director 
     of the Office of Management and Budget shall ensure that 
     Federal employee printing costs unrelated to national 
     defense, homeland security, border security, national 
     disasters, and other emergencies do not exceed $860,000,000 
     annually for fiscal years 2012 through 2014; and
       (4) issue guidelines requiring every department, agency, 
     commission or office to list at a prominent place near the 
     beginning of each publication distributed to the public and 
     issued or paid for by the Federal Government the following:
       (A) The name of the issuing agency, department, commission 
     or office.
       (B) The total number of copies of the document printed.
       (C) The collective cost of producing and printing all of 
     the copies of the document.
       (D) The name of the firm publishing the document.

     SEC. 11. ADMINISTRATIVE SUBPOENAS.

       Section 3486(a)(1)(D) of title 18, United States Code, is 
     amended by inserting ``2250,'' after ``2243,''.

     SEC. 12. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, the primary purpose of this bill is to provide, for 
the first time, specific programs to assist children who are victims of 
the brutal and devastating scourge of domestic child sex trafficking in 
this country.
  S. 2925 authorizes grants to appropriate victims services entities to 
create comprehensive victim-centered approaches to address the sex 
trafficking of minors. In particular, this legislation allows funds 
under the Byrne and JAG Grant Programs to be used to provide education, 
training, deterrence, and prevention programs related to sex 
trafficking of minors. It also provides funding to implement the 
improvements in the National Crime Information Center. In addition, 
this legislation strengthens laws aimed at apprehending and punishing 
domestic traffickers, while also improving the ability of law 
enforcement and other entities to find, rescue, and assist child 
victims.
  Importantly, S. 2925 also encourages States to treat minor victims of 
sex trafficking as crime victims rather than as criminal defendants or 
juvenile delinquents. We have made steady progress in recent years in 
addressing international sex trafficking of minors, as well as adults, 
under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which passed Congress in 
2000 on a strong bipartisan basis. It was most recently reauthorized by 
the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization 
Act of 2008, which I was pleased to help develop and shepherd through 
the House.
  We have worked for some time through legislation and other efforts, 
such as the Congressional Caucus on Sex Trafficking, which I cochair 
with the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney), the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Granger), to 
bring more attention to the need to better address the issue of 
domestic sex trafficking, particularly trafficking of minors. 
Unfortunately, we have encountered barriers to having it recognized 
that these children are victims in the domestic sex trade and not 
criminals.
  Now, under the leadership of the Senator from Oregon, Senator Wyden, 
and House Members of the Congressional Caucus on Sex Trafficking, this 
is finally changing. We finally have legislation before us that not 
only recognizes that children caught up in domestic sex trafficking are 
victims, but also addresses the unique needs of these child victims in 
being rescued and helping them pursuing a productive life.
  We are amending the Senate bill to remove certain nonessential 
elements of the bill, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Today the House considers this important bill, S. 2925, the Domestic 
Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010. The 
bill was introduced by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and was recently 
amended and passed in the Senate by unanimous consent. We had a similar 
bill introduced in the House this year by my friends Mr. Smith from New 
Jersey and Mrs. Maloney from New York. I would like to thank them both 
for their leadership on this important issue.
  Domestic minor sex trafficking is modern-day slavery and a scourge on 
our society. According to Shared Hope International, at least 100,000 
minor children are used in prostitution every year in just the United 
States. Some sources estimate the number of minors may be as high as 
300,000, though the actual number is difficult to really track. Girls 
as young as 11 years of age are sold on Internet Web sites, exploited 
by men for their youth and by gangs for their quote, ``reusable 
qualities.'' These traffickers and the customers who buy them are the 
filth of humanity.
  In my other life, I was a judge in Texas, and a former Texas Ranger 
told me, ``Judge, when you find one of these traffickers in court, just 
get a rope.'' Not that we'd do that, but this is how bad this crime is 
affecting our communities.
  In my hometown of Houston, Texas, we have a Human Trafficking Rescue 
Alliance. It's one of 42 in the Nation. Texas is a tier 1 trafficking 
State, and Houston, unfortunately, is a hub for human trafficking. This 
means that the Rescue Alliance is on the front lines of the war against 
trafficking. They are doing all they can to combat trafficking in Texas 
and other States. But I hear from them over and over again they just 
need more resources to care for the victims of domestic minor sex 
trafficking.
  Too often in our system, crime victims, those women, those young 
girls who are sold into slavery, are treated like criminals. They are 
not criminals. They are victims of crime. And it's time we, as a 
community, treat them as victims, not criminals.
  Senator Wyden's bill, S. 2925, addresses the problem by authorizing 
the

[[Page 23352]]

Department of Justice, in working with the Department of Health and 
Human Services, to award grants to organizations in six regionally 
diverse locations that provide services for child sex trafficking 
victims. Such services may include temporary and long-term placement of 
victims, as well as 24-hour emergency services. The funding may also be 
used to provide mental health counseling. Most importantly, funding may 
be used for specialized training for law enforcement officials and 
social service providers to properly identify and care for minor 
trafficking victims.
  When this legislation passed the Senate, important amendments were 
added to strengthen the ability of law enforcement officials to further 
prevent the sexual exploitation of children. Unfortunately, a number of 
these amendments were stripped before the bill was brought to the House 
floor. I disagree with that approach. We need tougher laws, not weaker 
laws, to apprehend, convict, and incarcerate traffickers and those who 
buy young girls for sex.
  This bill is a good first start toward building our capacity to care 
for the victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. Not one more 
American child, not one more kid should be allowed to wander our 
streets with their innocence for sale.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has been working hard on 
this bill and has been a leader in making sure this bill continues and 
has been very instrumental in making sure it saw the floor today.
  Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for his kind statement and 
yielding to me.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2925, the Senate 
companion to my bill in the House, H.R. 5575, the Domestic Minor Sex 
Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010, a bipartisan 
bill I introduced with Representative Chris Smith and have worked on 
with Jackie Speier and Chairman Bobby Scott and others.

                              {time}  1710

  I am grateful to Senator Wyden for his leadership on this extremely 
important and devastating issue that is found right here in our own 
backyards, and to Chairman Bobby Scott for his strong support and a 
record of action on this issue. I thank him for holding a hearing on 
this bill, having numerous meetings, and for his vital input into the 
bill.
  What we do today will impact the thousands of girls who have been 
duped, kidnapped, drugged, and forced into selling their young bodies 
for sex. It is truly a national tragedy. Too many people believe that 
child sex trafficking is a problem that exists only in foreign 
countries, but experts estimate that a minimum of 100,000 children in 
the United States, most of whom are American citizens, are exploited 
through commercial sex trafficking every year. The National Center For 
Missing and Exploited Children estimates that there are as many as 
300,000 to 400,000 missing children and that most of them are in this 
terrible sex trade.
  Although it is hard to believe, the average age of first exploitation 
is 12 to 13 years old. In the years I have worked on this issue, the 
age keeps getting younger and younger and younger for these children. 
These are our daughters, their schoolmates, and their friends.
  As founder and cochair of the Human Trafficking Caucus, I have been 
working for years to end the slavery of the 21st century, the trade in 
human lives for sex. Human trafficking is a $10 billion industry 
worldwide. It is the third-largest organized crime ring in history, 
preceded only by drugs and guns. But unlike drugs and guns, which can 
be sold only once, the human body can be sold over and over again, and, 
sadly, a young girl of 12 or 13 is at even greater risk of being sold 
for a much longer period of time, usually until they die.
  Despite the need, a Congressional Research Service report that I 
requested found that funding for specialized services and support for 
these young girls, these victims of domestic minor sex trafficking, are 
very, very limited or nonexistent. Throughout the country, 
organizations helping them collectively have fewer than 100 beds to 
address the needs of an estimated 100,000 young children each year. 
This is simply unacceptable. This bill responds to the problem and 
gives law enforcement the tools to investigate and prosecute sex 
traffickers who exploit underage girls and force them into the sex 
trade.
  A pimp selling just four children can earn over $600,000 a year. The 
risks are low and the gain is high. We live in a country where a person 
is more likely to serve time for selling marijuana than selling a 14-
year-old girl. This bill will change that and treat these young women 
as crime victims, not as criminals. It will create a six-State pilot 
program to help law enforcement crack down on pimps and traffickers, 
create shelters, and provide treatment, counseling, and legal aid for 
the underage girls that are forced into sexual slavery.
  Importantly, the legislation will strengthen deterrence and 
prevention programs aimed at potential buyers.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield an additional minute.
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. This bill cracks down on sex trafficking by 
focusing on the demand side, the users. The bill will be considered a 
model to help rescue the hundreds of thousands of under-aged girls 
believed to be forced into the sex trade in America.
  With this bill, we renew our promise of the 13th Amendment to the 
Constitution and redouble our efforts in the fight against human 
trafficking, the 21st century form of slavery. We set up a new standard 
to combat the sex trafficking of children in the U.S., and we accept 
our moral obligation to help the neglected victims of this horrible 
crime and crack down on their abusers.
  We must not let our children suffer any more. I urge my colleagues to 
vote unanimously for this bill.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who has been instrumental in this 
legislation.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend Judge Poe for 
yielding, and I rise in very strong support of the legislation. I want 
to thank Chairman Scott and Carolyn Maloney, with whom I have worked 
very closely on the House companion bill.
  I will say at the outset, Madam Speaker, as the prime sponsor of the 
historic law to combat human trafficking known as the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000, and as a Member of Congress who has 
devoted more than 15 years seeking to prevent trafficking, protect 
victims from exploitation and abuse, and prosecute those who enslave 
with up to life imprisonment, I am happy to say that in many of our 
States, laws have been passed that closely mirror the TVPA so that they 
too now have powerful weapons and tools to use against those who would 
so cruelly mistreat others through trafficking.
  Just by way of definition, you are considered a trafficking victim if 
you have not yet attained the age of 18 and have been sold for 
commercial sexual exploitation or for labor trafficking, or if you are 
18 or over and there is an element of force, fraud, or coercion. So I 
do rise in strong support of this bill which takes us even further, S. 
2925.
  Madam Speaker, human trafficking, or modern day slavery, is the third 
most lucrative criminal activity in the world. The ILO estimates 
illicit profits gleaned each and every year as something on the order 
of $31 billion. Under both Presidents Bush and Obama, domestic task 
forces to combat human trafficking have been established in over 40 
cities, almost 900 American children have been rescued, and much thanks 
is owed to the FBI, State police, and local law enforcement.
  Still, Madam Speaker, much more needs to be done. The National Center 
For Missing and Exploited Children believes that at least 100,000 
American children, perhaps tens of thousands more, some estimates put 
it as high as 300,000, mostly runaway girls, average age 13, are 
exploited in the commercial sex industry each year.

[[Page 23353]]

  S. 2925 seeks to address the lack of shelter, the lack of a safe 
place to go for domestic trafficking victims. As Carolyn Maloney said a 
moment ago, estimates may be as few as 100 beds--some put it at 50--and 
that is unconscionable.
  As highly vulnerable victims, juvenile detention or some type of 
incarceration just doesn't meet the need. These girls require a place, 
a safe haven, a place where they can go where they will be helped to 
deal with the huge trauma that they have experienced.
  The legislation authorizes six pilot grants of between $2.2 million 
to $2.5 million each in order to provide safe havens and psychological 
care to address trauma. The legislation also provides law enforcement 
training and beefs up reporting requirements so that missing children 
are immediately entered into the national missing children's database, 
the latter so that law enforcement finds a missing girl before the 
pimps do.
  Madam Speaker, this is a good bill, it is a bipartisan bill, and will 
very tangibly assist our young runaways who sadly are so cruelly 
exploited by human traffickers.
  As prime sponsor of the historic law to combat human trafficking--the 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000--and as a Member of Congress 
who has devoted more than 15 years seeking to prevent trafficking, 
protect victims from exploitation and abuse and prosecute those who 
enslave up to life imprisonment, I rise in strong support of S. 2925.
  Human Trafficking--modern day slavery--is the third most lucrative 
criminal activity in the world. The ILO estimates illicit profits of 
over $31 billion a year.
  Under both presidents Bush and Obama, domestic task forces to combat 
human trafficking have been established in over 40 cities. Almost 900 
American children have been rescued and much thanks is owed to the FBI, 
state police, and local law enforcement.
  Still, much more needs to be done. The National Center for Missing 
and Exploited Children and Shared Hope International believe that at 
least 100,000 American children, perhaps tens of thousands more, mostly 
runaway girls of the average age of 13 years old, are exploited in the 
commercial sex industry each year.
  S. 2925 seeks to address the lack of shelter--the lack of safe place 
to go--for domestic trafficking victims. One estimate is that there are 
between 50 and 100 beds for victims of domestic trafficking.
  As highly vulnerable victims, private detention or some other type of 
incarceration fails to recognize these young girls as cruelly exploited 
victims desperately in need of help.
  The legislation authorizes 6 pilot grants of $2-2.5 million in order 
to provide safe havens and psychological care to address trauma.
  The legislation also provides for law enforcement training and keys 
up reporting requirements so that missing children are immediately 
entered into the national missing children database--the latter so that 
law enforcement finds a missing girl before the pimps do.
  Madam Speaker, my distinguished colleague Carolyn Maloney and I 
crafted the House version of the pending bill in a way that absolutely 
precluded the use of funds authorized by the bill from being used to 
subsidize the killing of the child in the womb by abortion. S. 2925 as 
amended includes the identical language.
  The Gentlelady from New York and I have deep differences on abortion, 
but worked in a spirit of cooperation and resolve in order to tangibly 
assist domestic victims of trafficking.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), a very strong 
supporter of the legislation and one who represents a shelter in his 
district that he is a strong supporter of.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank my very good friend and 
extraordinary leader on the Judiciary Committee, Congressman Bobby 
Scott. I appreciate your principle, Congressman Scott, and I am not 
surprised of your strong backing, nor am I of the fact that Carolyn 
Maloney and Chris Smith authored this.
  This bill is clearly bipartisan. There is really no reason to oppose 
this and every reason for this entire Congress to get behind it.
  You know, the horrible situation we're addressing could happen to 
anyone, really, anyone that has a family. We are talking about 
adolescent girls, girls who are growing up. Sometimes they have a 
challenging family environment, but oftentimes it is simply the 
challenge of being an adolescent, lots of emotional issues and all. So 
sometimes they will run away, trying to prove something to their 
parents or whatever.
  Oftentimes they go to a shopping mall. The mall closes down. They are 
afraid to go back right away to their parents. A predator starts 
circling the mall, an older guy, somebody that suggests they will get 
them food or whatever, find them a place to stay, and they trust them.

                              {time}  1720

  Oftentimes that little girl is raped, given drugs, and then she's 
threatened that what has happened to her is going to be exposed to her 
parents or to her peers. She's scared to death, and so she's afraid to 
break away.
  In every one of these sex trafficking cases, this is about a form of 
slavery where the victim wants to escape and has nowhere to go. 
Unfortunately, as much as the need is enormous, as Mrs. Maloney and Mr. 
Smith said, 100,000--maybe it's 300,000--of these young girls, we have 
only a hundred shelter beds. Far too few of them. Most municipalities, 
particularly today, don't have the money. But there's also a whole lot 
of zoning issues and political reaction, NIMBYism. A neighborhood will 
say, Well, this is very important, just not in my neighborhood. But 
there's another neighborhood, for sure.
  But a hundred beds is all we've got. We're not going to get more 
unless the Federal Government takes the initiative, provides the 
funding. And this is tough. Initially, they have to put up a quarter of 
the cost. Then it's 40 percent. By the third year, they have to find 50 
percent of the funding. And by the fourth year, when these girls are 
dependent upon the shelter, they have to find all other funding. So 
this is no handout. This is just a kick-start to get communities to do 
something that's terribly important.
  I know Mr. Smith particularly knows all the sex trafficking that goes 
on around the world. We're appalled at Cambodia and Thailand and Russia 
and say, Well, how can this happen? And yet it's pervasive within our 
own society. We would rather look the other way, not knowing about it; 
but it's there. And we've got to do something about it.
  This bill does something about it. It establishes a foundation. It 
will create model programs. And then what will happen is other 
communities realize the need. Some parents will start to speak up. And, 
most importantly, the victims will be empowered and secure enough to 
speak up themselves. They are leading this effort.
  We have a shelter called Courtney's House. A young adolescent victim 
of sex trafficking, she named it after her daughter. It's her life's 
work now. We've got to do this. It's the right thing. No good reason to 
oppose it. And I appreciate the fact that it's bipartisan. This should 
be one of the last bills this Congress passes because, hopefully, it 
will be something we can all be very proud of.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren), the former Attorney General of 
California.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. We rarely speak on this floor of 
evil. Most of the issues we talk about are areas of controversy where 
you can have men and women of good will with areas of disagreement. And 
in our society we shun the idea of talking about evil because it sounds 
judgmental.
  This is one example where evil reigns. This is an example of one of 
the worst kinds of evil in our society today because this affects the 
most vulnerable among us, and it is a population that is largely hidden 
from view, in some cases because we avert our eyes. In other cases 
because we just don't spend the time to know.
  The problem of domestic sex trafficking of minors is one that plagues 
virtually every community in America. That's the surprise for many 
people. They say, Not here, somewhere else. New York City. The big 
cities. But it's a problem that knows no jurisdictional boundaries, as 
traffickers and pimps seem to cross national and international borders 
with impunity. It is a

[[Page 23354]]

problem which exploits the young and vulnerable and robs them of their 
innocence, and it is a problem that we can do something about.
  Believe it or not, many of my constituents, many in the general 
Sacramento region, would be surprised to know that we hold the 
unfortunate distinction of having one of the highest incidences of 
domestic minor sex trafficking in the Nation, at least according to the 
FBI when they did their stings just a year or so ago. One of the 
reasons could be that we're at the intersection of major thoroughfares 
that go north and south and come east and west. That might be a 
comforting thought to others to think it's coming from somewhere else, 
but we find that most of the people come from our own region and most 
of them are victims.
  We have a courageous police chief just outside my district in the 
community of Truckee, right near Lake Tahoe, Police Chief Nick Sensley. 
He's one of the experts in the world on this. And one of the things he 
always stresses in the programs he's established is this: these young 
women, these girls are victims. They get caught up in arrests for 
prostitution and the system looks at them as criminals. Yet you look at 
almost every single one of them and they are victims. And we don't do 
much about it.
  Oftentimes, when these young girls are able to escape from their 
imprisonment because law enforcement intervenes, they're let out on the 
streets shortly thereafter with nowhere to go. And what happens? The 
pimps start coming around again. And guess what? They're the only one 
that gives them some perverted idea of love, affection, and commitment. 
This evil allows the perversion such that these young girls have no 
other place to look.
  We have got to do something about this. We're beginning to do 
something in California and in Sacramento. We're beginning to do it in 
other areas of the country. We have to do it as a Nation even more than 
we have done it before because, as I say, these pimps don't recognize 
boundaries. They certainly don't recognize laws. They recognize one 
thing and that is the vulnerability of these young girls.
  We have got to do something; and in this Christmas season, we can do 
nothing better than to give this great gift of a start towards helping 
communities understand the nature of the problem, begin to allow us to 
refuse to avert our eyes to what's happening in our own areas, and 
allow us to support this legislation which will help move us in the 
right direction.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the young 
lady who has worked hard on this legislation, along with many others, 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier).
  Ms. SPEIER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling me young and for 
your able leadership on this issue.
  A special recognition must be offered to Congresswoman Maloney for 
her effort in bringing this to our attention. And I'm very proud to be 
associated with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have come 
together in a true bipartisan effort here, because I think we recognize 
that this is a travesty.
  To speak about 300,000 youngsters in this country, girls and boys--
mostly girls, but girls and boys--who are caught up in sex slavery is 
an abomination. And while this is a great first step--and I applaud it 
and embrace it and support it--it is a mere $45 million and six 
projects throughout the country. And we've all admitted that we're 
talking about hundreds of thousands of young people impacted.
  So I hope as part of this effort today we are going to redouble our 
efforts and expand this program. Because I, like so many of you, have 
spoken to local DAs, have spoken to local U.S. Attorneys, have spoken 
to the FBI, have gone on ride-alongs in Oakland, and have witnessed 
firsthand what is going on. I've gone to Courtney's House. I've gone to 
many of the shelters and I've talked to the victims.
  And I want to share just one story about one victim here in 
Washington, D.C., age of 16, who got caught up in this sex trafficking 
because she wanted to leave home and saw this as a way to make a new 
life because this young man took her to McDonald's and bought her lunch 
and then wanted to be her boyfriend. And then they needed money so, of 
course, she needed to sell herself. And I asked her, How many times a 
day were you forced to have sex? And she said between 10 and 15 times a 
day before she finally was able to run away.
  This is horrific. And it's time for us to do much more than fund six 
projects across this country for $45 million. A good step--and I 
embrace it. But, Members, we have to do much more.

                              {time}  1730

  Mr. POE of Texas. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Let me thank the gentleman on the Crime 
Subcommittee. I think it is appropriate at this time to thank him for 
his leadership as chairman, as I have had the privilege of serving with 
him. I think we have had and accepted some of the most provocative and 
innovative bills that really changed the lives of human beings, and I 
thank him very much for his service.
  Let me applaud as well Congresswoman Maloney, Congressman Smith, and 
my colleague from Texas.
  Madam Speaker, slavery is alive, and I rise to support the underlying 
bill dealing with domestic trafficking and to thank the Senate for 
getting this over in the hours within which we have to function to make 
sure that we move this legislation forward.
  Houston is particularly an epicenter, if you will, for this kind of 
activity. Being not so far away from the border, we have seen the 
increase of human trafficking and smuggling grow exponentially, and 
certainly, we all are familiar with the tragedy that happened in 
Victoria just a few years ago where we saw the loss of human lives that 
were being trafficked. So we know there is a constant, steady flow of 
individuals who are coming, but this is the most dastardly and heinous 
aspect of it. I am glad my colleagues have already indicated that this 
is a domestic problem, that even though we can go to Bangladesh and we 
can go to parts of Africa and other parts of South Asia, we find human 
trafficking right here in our backyard.
  I remember our former colleague Hilda Solis, now the Secretary of 
Labor, mentioning the loss of lives of women on the Mexican-U.S. border 
who would just simply disappear. Some of them were prostitutes; some of 
them young girls; and to this day, lives and/or those girls are still 
missing. So the stories go on and on and on. Frankly, I think there 
could be no better initiative to come in these last hours than this 
legislation.
  I want to pay tribute to some of the individuals who are on the 
ground, if you will, who we don't hear of quite frequently.
  The sheriff in Harris County, Adrian Garcia, recognizes the 
devastation of human trafficking, has set up a task force, which we are 
working with, and has attempted to make sure that he has the funding to 
stop the tide of those who call themselves ``pimps'' but who project 
themselves as boyfriends and friends and counselors and nurturers, who 
take these young girls in--some girls that you never ever find again.
  I want to pay tribute as well to the Children at Risk, another 
Houston-based organization that acknowledged and wrote a report on 
human trafficking that occurs in our locale. It is important to know 
that these various organizations really had to be self-starters 
because, as they began to talk about human trafficking, no one else 
was, and you were in a city by yourself.
  Why are you talking about human trafficking? Isn't that global or 
international or something far away from here?
  I want to pay tribute to Kathryn Griffin, who has an organization 
that might have a provocative name--We've Been There Done That. She is 
dealing with not only this broad question of human trafficking but of 
prostitutes

[[Page 23355]]

who come in all ages who are attempting to rehabilitate themselves. She 
has established a home, and she is trying to counter the ridiculousness 
of 100 beds existing for these young girls who find themselves in these 
conditions.
  So, Madam Speaker, I started out by saying that slavery does exist. 
I, frankly, believe that one of the aspects of this bill is to be able 
to go after the service builders, if you will--the pimps, the users--
and to be able to ensure that there is a place for someone to go.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, how much time do I have 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia has 1\1/2\ 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. This is to proclaim that we will not suffer 
this and tolerate this.
  As my colleague from Texas indicated, we may want to be tier 1 in 
education, but we are not trying to be tier 1 in modern slavery, human 
suffering, and human smuggling. Therefore, enough is enough.
  I look forward to this bill being signed by the President. I look 
forward to our bringing relief and acknowledging that slavery is here 
but that we are ready to stamp it out to save the lives of these young 
girls.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2925, the 
``Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and Deterrence and Victims Support Act 
of 2010.'' This bill calls for funds awarded under the Edward Byrne 
Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to be used to provide 
education, training, deterrence, and prevention programs relating to 
sex trafficking of minors. It also calls for states to treat minor 
victims of sex trafficking as crime victims rather than as criminal 
defendants or juvenile delinquents. States should adopt and amend laws 
that protect minors who are victims of sex trafficking, and make such 
minors eligible for compensation. Furthermore, S. 2925 calls for 
consistent law enforcement to be used to deter demands for commercial 
sex with sex trafficking victims.
  The issues associated with the exploitation of children here in the 
U.S., and all over, are ones that I am very passionate about. The fact 
that children are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or 
obtained for the purpose of a commercial sex act is appalling and I 
believe we should thrust our efforts behind meaningful policies and 
laws, such as the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims 
Support Act, that will put an end to such acts.
  During the Congressional Black Caucus' Annual Legislative Conference, 
which took place this past September at the Washington Convention 
Center, I held an issue forum to bring attention to issues plaguing our 
Nation's children--missing children who are exploited in the commercial 
sex trade. In this forum, we brought together a number of professionals 
and experts to bring light to this issue and, more importantly, 
determine best practices for deterring such behavior in order to put an 
end to these horrid practices. Many of the methods and practices 
highlighted in that forum are present in S. 2925; yet another reason 
why I so fervently support this bill.
  Hearing the statistics about the exploitation of children will make 
you cringe, as they are especially disturbing. Nationally, 450,000 
children run away from home each year. One out of every three teens on 
the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving 
home. Statistically, this means at least 150,000 children are lured 
into prostitution each year. The National Center for Missing and 
Exploited Children (NCMEC) data shows 100,000 to 293,000 children have 
become sexual commodities. Twelve is the average age of entry into 
pornography and prostitution in the U.S. This is a universal problem--
these children can come from any race, ethnic group, or religious 
background, and all socio-economic classes.
  The common denominator amongst these children is their vulnerability. 
Many of these children have been emotionally bruised as a result of 
abuse--sexual assault and/or familial molestation. Many children 
vulnerable to domestic minor sex trafficking are homeless, runaways, 
throwaways, and youth who have ended up in the foster care system and 
child protective services.
  Of the 2.8 million children living on the streets, which alone is an 
appalling statistic, over a third of them are lured into prostitution 
as a way to support themselves financially. Others are recruited 
through forced abduction or deceptive agreements between parents and 
traffickers. These children are often shipped off to different 
locations and isolated from family and peers, left to rely on a system 
of pimp-controlled sexual exploitation--escort and massage services, 
private dancing, pornographic clubs, just to name a few.
  The fact that we live in a virtual world now has had a major impact 
on how domestic minor commercial sex trafficking takes place. The 
Internet has completely changed the dynamics of prostitution and 
trafficking, making it easier for prostitutes and traffickers to 
connect with clients without too many layers of intermediaries. As a 
result, the Internet has become an intermediary, often without the 
knowledge of those Internet service providers (ISPs) who are the 
conduits. Increasingly, certain Web sites and online marketplaces have 
been bearing the brunt of much criticism for providing a medium for 
online minor sex trafficking.
  The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act 
allows us to take the necessary actions to combat this new tech-savvy 
generation of prostitution and minor sex trafficking. As a senior 
member of the House Judiciary Committee, I have had the opportunity to 
examine how children are trafficked in the U.S., including the role 
that the Internet plays, and the challenges that these cases pose to 
law enforcement. It is my hope that the passage of S. 2925 will make 
way for implementation of prevention methods that will help law 
enforcement place an effective road block on this horrendous practice.
  Furthermore, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and 
Victims Support Act addresses the unique needs of those who have been 
victimized by sex trafficking. As mentioned before, many of the 
children who end up as victims of this practice enter into the world of 
minor sex trafficking with scars, and leave with even more. They come 
from broken homes, are victims of abuse, assault, and may suffer from 
emotional problems. Passage of S. 2925 will provide support for victims 
of minor sex trafficking and help to rehabilitate survivors so that 
they may re-enter society successfully.
  Again, I would like to reirecate, my strong support for S. 2925, the 
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act, for 
it is an important first step in addressing a problem that plagues our 
nation and the world.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I do want to thank the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who are both sitting here 
together to show their support for this bipartisan legislation.
  I believe that important, good legislation passes this House when it 
is bipartisan, and nothing could be more important than trying to 
protect the greatest resource we have in our community, which is those 
young children who live among us. This legislation is important for a 
whole lot of reasons.
  It is ironic, Madam Speaker, that in international sex trafficking, 
if we have that situation in the United States where, say, a young girl 
is trafficked into the United States from Honduras, and she is rescued 
by law enforcement, she is treated like a victim of crime because she 
is an international individual. If the same situation occurs where an 
American citizen, a young girl, is trafficked from Sacramento to 
Houston and she is rescued in Houston, she is not treated as a victim 
of crime; she is generally treated as a criminal. That especially is 
true in places like Texas, where domestic trafficking victims are 
treated as criminals.
  Not to blame law enforcement, but they don't know what to do with 
these young girls. There is no place to put them. There is no place to 
take them. So they file charges on them for prostitution, minors 
committing prostitution, so they can protect them by locking them up. 
That is why many times they file charges. However, though, they are not 
criminals. They are victims of criminal conduct. Once she has that 
label of prostitute, even though she is a minor, we all know because of 
public records nowadays that that sticks with that young girl forever 
no matter how it turns out in that criminal case.
  So we have to change the mindset in this country to make sure that we 
understand when a victim--a young girl--is put in that situation 
because of her environment or whatever and is forced into modern day 
slavery, that we treat

[[Page 23356]]

her as a victim of crime, and when she is rescued by law enforcement, 
that she is rescued and not put into the criminal justice system. This 
bill moves us in that direction, and it is important that we continue 
to understand that.
  This is a hard situation. For the young girls who find themselves in 
that position--who go into prostitution because of being forced to do 
so--once they are rescued, they are difficult to deal with. They have a 
hard time coming back into a normal society because they are beat down 
emotionally and they are beat down physically. So it is difficult to 
deal with them, and it is not easy to bring them back. But just because 
it is hard, it is no reason we shouldn't be involved in helping the 
youth of our community and in making sure that we rescue them one at a 
time. It is no reason we shouldn't take whatever funds are necessary to 
make sure that we treat them with the dignity that they deserve.
  Then, on the other end, when we capture that trafficker, that 
individual who makes money--that filthy lucre--from transporting a 
child from one part of the United States to another, we treat him as he 
deserves, and he gets justice at the courthouse.
  Then the customers who buy those children for sexual favors, we treat 
those people with justice. They get justice whether they want it or 
not, and we hold them accountable for the ways they have treated the 
youth of this Nation.

                              {time}  1740

  So we have a long way to go; but this is a start, recognizing that 
those young girls, mainly young girls, are victims of crime.
  I want to thank the sponsors of this legislation. I, too, want to 
compliment those in the Houston area and the Rescue Alliance, the 
Children At Risk, a nongovernment agency that's doing everything they 
can to rescue those children; Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Constable Ron 
Hickman, all working together to stop this epidemic that is 
consistently growing in this country.
  And I can agree that there's no more important legislation that we 
could pass than legislation this time of year to take care of our 
greatest natural resource: young children.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from Texas for his statement; again, thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey and the gentlelady from New York for their hard work on this 
bill. Many children in the future will benefit from the work of these 
two individuals and the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
S. 2925, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims 
Support Act.
  It is fitting that as one of the last acts of this Congress which has 
done so much to aid the most vulnerable in our society, we are 
considering legislation that would protect children from sex 
traffickers.
  Tragically, this heinous crime is becoming more common with as many 
as 100,000 young people trafficked every year within our borders.
  To address this heartbreaking trend, the legislation before us 
authorizes a comprehensive grant program to identify and assist victims 
and strengthens the National Crime Information Center, NCIC, database 
that enables law enforcement officials to track missing and exploited 
children.
  These commonsense steps will make a real difference in the lives of 
thousands of kids who have experienced unimaginable ordeals.
  S. 2925 mirrors House legislation authored by my colleagues 
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congressman Chris Smith. I applaud 
their hard work on behalf of these forgotten young people and commend 
them for their leadership in devising smart solutions to fight the 
scourge of child prostitution in America.
  The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act 
will significantly augment our efforts to help children traumatized by 
the worst kind of criminal act and I urge its swift passage.
  In an era characterized by bitter partisanship, it is exceedingly 
gratifying for me that members of this body can still reach across the 
aisle and stand together in defense of children caught in perilous 
circumstances.
  It is my sincere hope that next year we can come together in the same 
spirit of bipartisanship to help young people apprehended along our 
southern border.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2925, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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