[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3898 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3898
To authorize the National Science Foundation to support research on the
impact of online social media platforms on the maintenance or expansion
of human trafficking, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 22, 2022
Ms. Cortez Masto introduced the following bill; which was read twice
and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the National Science Foundation to support research on the
impact of online social media platforms on the maintenance or expansion
of human trafficking, 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 ``Human Trafficking Online Research
Act''.
SEC. 2. NSF SUPPORT OF RESEARCH ON IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON HUMAN
TRAFFICKING.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Human trafficking.--The term ``human trafficking''
means an act or practice described in paragraph (11) or
paragraph (12) of section 103 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
(2) Social media platform.--The term ``social media
platform'' means a website or internet medium that--
(A) permits a person to become a registered user,
establish an account, or create a profile for the
purpose of allowing users to create, share, and view
user-generated content through such an account or
profile;
(B) enables 1 or more users to generate content
that can be viewed by other users of the medium; and
(C) primarily serves as a medium for users to
interact with content generated by other users of the
medium.
(3) Commercial sex act.--The term ``commercial sex act''
means any sex act on account of which anything of value,
including money, drugs, shelter, food, or clothing, is given to
or received by any person.
(b) Support of Research.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal
agencies, shall support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded
research on the impact of online social media platforms on the
maintenance or expansion of human trafficking, which may include--
(1) fundamental research on digital forensic tools or other
technologies for verifying the authenticity of social media
platform users and their materials, that are utilized in the
promotion or operation of human trafficking networks;
(2) fundamental research on privacy preserving technical
tools that may aid law enforcement's ability to identify and
prosecute individuals or entities promoting or involved in
human trafficking;
(3) social and behavioral research related to social media
platform users who engage with those promoting or involved in
human trafficking;
(4) research on the effectiveness of expanding public
understanding, awareness, or law enforcement efforts in
combating human trafficking through social media platforms; and
(5) research awards coordinated with other Federal agencies
and programs, including the Information Integrity Research and
Development Interagency Working Group and the Privacy Research
and Development Interagency Working Group of the Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development Program, the
Office for Victims of Crime of the Department of Justice, the
Blue Campaign of the Department of Homeland Security, the
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the
Department of State, and activities of the Department of
Transportation and the Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.
(c) Reports.--
(1) Findings and recommendations.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the
National Science Foundation shall report to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives, and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies of the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives--
(A) the Director's findings with respect to the
feasibility for research opportunities, including with
the private sector social media platform companies, to
improve the ability to combat human trafficking
operations; and
(B) any recommendations of the Director that could
facilitate and improve communication and coordination
among the private sector, the National Science
Foundation, and relevant Federal agencies to improve
the ability to combat human trafficking operations
through social media.
(2) Results of research.--Not later than 4 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National
Science Foundation shall report to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies of the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives,
and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives on the results of the research supported under
this section.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to affect materials and actions associated with legal
commercial sex acts.
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