To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study to assess the unintended impacts on the health and safety of people engaged in transactional sex, in connection with the enactment of the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 and the loss of interactive computer services that host information related to sexual exchange, to direct the Attorney General to submit a report on human trafficking investigations and prosecutions in connection with the same, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 17, 2024
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill directs the federal government to study the unintended consequences of the 2018 SESTA/FOSTA law, which held websites liable for user-generated content related to sex trafficking. The legislation requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to examine how the closure of online platforms like Backpage.com has affected the health and safety of people engaged in consensual sex work, including impacts on their ability to screen clients, access harm reduction information, negotiate safety terms, and maintain economic stability. The bill also requires the Attorney General to report on how these website closures have affected human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. Both reports must be completed within one year of the law's enactment and made public. The studies will focus particularly on impacts affecting vulnerable populations including LGBTQIA+ individuals, transgender women of color, people in rural areas, and those experiencing homelessness or exploitation.
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