Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “No Trafficking Zones Act” or the “NTZ Act”.
No Trafficking Zones Act
AN ACT
To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the punishment for human trafficking in a school zone, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds as follows:
Child sex trafficking can have devastating immediate and long-term consequences, including health impacts, psychological and physical trauma, and even death.
While any child can be targeted by a trafficker, research, data, survivors’ lived experiences, and expertise have revealed that traffickers often target vulnerable youth who lack strong support networks, supervision, care, or basic necessities, have low self-esteem, have experienced violence in the past, are experiencing homelessness, are experiencing academic difficulties, or are marginalized by society, and lure them into forced labor and prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation. Traffickers are masters of manipulation and prey upon vulnerabilities using psychological pressure, intimidation, and drugs to control and sexually exploit the child for their benefit.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has received reports of child sex trafficking in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These reports include incidents occurring in every type of community, including suburban, rural, urban, and Tribal lands. In 2021, NCMEC received more than 17,200 reports of possible child sex trafficking.
Of 22,326 trafficking victims and survivors identified through contacts with the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2019, at least 5,359 were under age 18.
Many underage victims of sex trafficking are students in the United States school system. No community, school, socioeconomic group, or student demographic is immune.
While the internet and social media make up the majority of first encounters, traffickers regularly find young people in shopping malls, through friends, at bus stops, and at schools. Specifically, traffickers systematically target vulnerable children and youth by frequenting locations where young people congregate, including schools. They also use peers or classmates, who befriend the target and slowly groom them for the trafficker by bringing the young person along to parties and other activities.
A 2018 survey reported that 55 percent of young sex trafficking survivors in Texas were trafficked while at school or school activities and 60 percent of trafficked adults say they were first groomed and solicited for trafficking on school campuses.
Schools can and should be safe havens for students. Schools are best positioned to identify and report suspected trafficking and connect affected students to critical services. Students are more likely to report instances of sex trafficking, attempted sex trafficking, or grooming for the purposes of sex trafficking where they feel most safe from harm and threats.
Sec. 3 Increased punishment for human trafficking in school zones
Section 1591 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
“(e)
“(1) Whoever violates subsection (a) in a school zone, or on, or within 1,000 feet of, a premises on which a school-sponsored activity is taking place, or on, or within 1,000 feet of a premises owned by an institution of higher education, shall, in addition to the punishment otherwise provided under this section, be imprisoned for not more than 5 years.
“(2) In this subsection:
“(A) The term “school zone” has the meaning given such term in section 921.
“(B) The term “school-sponsored activity” means any activity that is produced, financed, arranged, supervised, or coordinated by a school or a State educational agency or local educational agency or is under the jurisdiction of a State educational agency or local educational agency.
“(C) The terms “State educational agency” and “local educational agency” have the meanings given those terms under section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
“(D) The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).”
Sec. 4 Increased punishment for coercion and enticement in school zones
Section 2422 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (b), by striking “individual who has not attained the age of 18 years” and inserting “minor”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(c)
“(1) Whoever violates subsection (a) or (b) knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that the violation is committed against a minor who is enrolled in school and is, at the time of the violation, in a school zone or on, or within 1,000 feet of, a premises on which a school-sponsored activity is taking place, or against a person who is enrolled in an institution of higher education and is, at the time of the violation on or within 1,000 feet of a premises owned by the institution of higher education, shall, in addition to the punishment otherwise provided under this section, be imprisoned for not more than 5 years.
“(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in a case in which a minor’s presence on, or within 1,000 feet of, the premises on which a school-sponsored activity is taking place is not related to such school-sponsored activity, or the person’s presence on or within 1,000 feet of the premises owned by the institution of higher education is not related to their enrollment at such institution.
“(d) In this section:
“(1) The term “minor” means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age.
“(2) The term “school” means a public, parochial, or private school that provides elementary or secondary education.
“(3) The term “school zone” has the meaning given such term in section 921.
“(4) The term “school-sponsored activity” means any activity that is produced, financed, arranged, supervised, or coordinated by a school or a State educational agency or local educational agency or is under the jurisdiction of a State educational agency or local educational agency.
“(5) The terms “State educational agency” and “local educational agency” have the meanings given those terms under section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
“(6) The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).”