The Preventing Trafficking of Minors Act of 2026 expands federal law to criminalize the patronizing or soliciting of minors for commercial sex acts, closing gaps in existing protections against child sexual exploitation. The bill amends federal law to make it illegal not only to coerce or entice minors into sex acts, but also to solicit, offer to patronize, or engage directly in commercial sex with anyone under 18, including paying for such acts. The law eliminates several defenses that previously protected some offenders, including claims of not knowing the victim's age and requirements to prove force or fraud when the victim is a minor. Penalties increase to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment, rising to 15 years if the victim is under 14 years old. The law takes effect 180 days after enactment and applies to crimes committed after that date.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.