,,ii  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #cafe  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,janu>y #h1 #bjbj,ms4  
,w>r5 7= h]self1 ,mr4 ,wyd51 & ,mr4     
,s&]s7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0   
read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on  
,heal?1 ,education1 ,labor1 & ,p5sions  
,a ,,bill  ,to direct ! ,secret>y (     
,heal? & ,human ,s]vices to conduct a   
/udy to assess ! un9t5d$ impacts on !   
heal? & safety ( p engag$ 9             
transactional sex1 9 connection ) !     
enactm5t ( ! ,all[ ,/ates & ,victims to 
,fight ,onl9e ,sex ,traffick+ ,act (    
#bjag 7,public ,law #aae-afd7 & ! loss (
 int]active comput] s]vices t ho/       
in=mation relat$ to sexual ex*ange1 & = 
o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act
 may be cit$ z ! ,,se/a_/,,fo/a         
,exam9ation ( ,second>y ,effects = ,sex 
,work]s ,/udy ,act or ! ,,safe ,,sex    
,work]s ,/udy ,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,!      
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,p :o    
engage 9 cons5sual1 transactional sex   
utilize onl9e plat=ms to protect _!     

heal?1 safety1 & indep5d5ce4 ,?is use   
includes build+ community connections1  
di/ribution ( h>m r$uction in=mation &  
te*niques1 id5tification & scre5+ (     
pot5tial cli5ts1 & negotiat+ ! t]ms (   
cons5sual1 transactional sex s]vices1   
includ+ condom use & o!r h>m r$uction   
/rategies4  7#b7 ,widespread            
discrim9ation aga9/ populations1 includ+
 ,,lgbtqi individuals1 p>ticul>ly       
transg5d] wom5 ( color1 prev5ts _m f    
access+ =mal employm5t res\rces &       
educational opportunities4  7#c7 ,9 !   
#bjae ,unit$ ,/ates ,transg5d] ,survey  
conduct$ by ! ,national ,c5t] =         
,transg5d] ,equality1 #ai p]c5t (       
respond5ts report$ hav+ ex*ang$ sex =   
res\rces1 su* z = money1 food1 or a     
place to sleep4 ,transg5d] wom5 ( color1
 includ+ ,black 7#db p]c5t71 ,am]ican   
,indian 7#bh p]c5t71 multiracial 7#bg   
p]c5t71 ,lat9a 7#bc p]c5t71 & ,asian    
7#bb p]c5t7 respond5ts 7 m likely to h  
p>ticipat$ 9 sex "w ?an ! ov]all sample4
  7#d7 ,9 ! #bjae ,unit$ ,/ates         

,transg5d] ,survey1 respond5ts :o       
exp]i5c$ homelessness 9 ! pa/ ye> 7#ag  
p]c5t7 7 m ?an ?ree times z likely to h 
p>ticipat$ 9 sex "w dur+ t ye> comp>$ to
 ! ov]all sample4  7#e7 ,on a broad]    
scale1 int]net plat=ms fo/] connections 
betwe5 p & play an integral "p 9        
,am]ican society4 ,mean+ful regulation (
 int]net plat=ms mu/ take into acc\nt ! 
role !y play 9 ! heal?1 safety1 &       
privacy ( all p's lives4  7#f7 ,:ile    
policymak]s1 repres5tatives ( int]net   
plat=ms1 & "s advocates h discuss$ ways 
to mitigate ! use ( int]net plat=ms to  
decrease exploitation1 p :o cons5sually 
trade sex are r>ely involv$ 9 ! draft+ (
 legislation or policies1 or 9 assess+  
_! impact1 despite be+ among/ !         
populations :o are impact$ by           
legislation & policies relat$ to !      
regulation ( ^! int]net plat=ms4  7#g7  
,on ,febru>y #bg1 #bjah1 ! ,h\se (      
,repres5tatives pass$ ! ,all[ ,/ates to 
,fight ,onl9e ,sex ,traffick+ ,act1 kn[n
 z ,,se/a_/,,fo/a4 ,:ile ,,se/a_/,,fo/a 

holds websites liable = us]-g5]at$      
cont5t t facilitates sex traffick+1 x   
also impacts onl9e plat=ms :]e us]s     
discuss cons5sual sex "w & relat$       
topics4  7#h7 ,contemporane\sly ) !     
passage ( ,,se/a_/,,fo/a 9 ! ,s5ate on  
,m>* #ba1 #bjah1 websites preemptively  
%ut d[n1 "s directly cit+ ! law's       
passage z ! rationale = closure4  7#i7  
,"o week be=e ,presid5t ,donald ,trump  
sign$ ,,se/a_/,,fo/a into law 7,public  
,law #aae-afd71 ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,ju/ice   
seiz$ ,backpage4com & arre/$ ,backpage  
employees1 cit+ promotion ( pro/itution 
& money laund]+ *>ges1 simil> to !      
,dep>tm5t ( ,homel& ,security's seizure 
( ,r5tboy4com only a few ye>s prior4    
7#aj7 ,:ile ^! websites & individual    
acc\nts h be5 clos+ d[n1 !re has be5 no 
national inve/igation rigor\sly exam9+ !
 impact ( los+ access to ^! plat=ms on !
 heal? & safety ( p 9 cons5sual1        
transactional sex "w4 ,regional &       
anecdotal in=mation f heal? & safety    
s]vice provid]s & sex work]s has po9t$  

to significant impacts on ! heal? &     
safety ( p :o engage 9 cons5sual1       
transactional sex4  7#aa7 ,community    
organizations h report$ increas$        
homelessness ( sex work]s1 includ+ ( sex
 work]s :o are c>etak]s = _! families & 
h lo/ ! economic /ability provid$ by    
access to onl9e plat=ms4  7#ab7 ,sex    
work]s h report$ a r$uc$ ability to     
scre5 pot5tial cli5ts = safety1 &       
negotiate = b\nd>ies su* z condom use1  
result+ 9 reports ( physical & sexual   
viol5ce4  7#ac7 ,_m sex work]s h turn$  
to /reet-bas$ "w1 :i* has hi/orically   
involv$ high] rates ( viol5ce ?an o!r   
=ms ( transactional sex4 ,/reet-bas$ sex
 work]s h frequ5tly not$ practices :i*  
h>m _! heal? & safety1 su* z !          
confiscation ( condoms by police1 or use
 ( condoms z evid5ce ( arre/ =          
pro/itution4  7#ad7 ,) ?is new level (  
prec>ity1 isolation1 & vuln]ability1 !re
 is sub/antial anecdotal evid5ce t      
memb]s ( ! sex "w community are m       
frequ5tly be+ contact$ by ?ird p>ties   

seek+ to engage 9 managem5t activities4 
,?is includes bo? sex work]s :o _h      
always work$ indep5d5tly1 z well z ^? :o
 h previ\sly exp]i5c$ viol5ce &         
exploitation by a ?ird p>ty4  7#ae7 ,!  
,unit$ ,/ates ,gov]nm5t has long        
discuss$ ! importance ( assess+         
collat]al consequ5ces :5 look+ at o!r   
indu/ries4 ,a compreh5sive /udy is      
ess5tial to evaluate ! impact on ! heal?
 & safety ( ^? involv$ 9 cons5sual1     
transactional sex1 :o are increas+ly    
los+ access to digital plat=ms1 :i* h   
be5 us$ = h>m r$uction in=mation &      
te*niques1 & to scre5 cli5ts4 ,in=m$    
gov]nm5t policies beg9 ) seek+ out      
relevant in=mation to bett] guide our   
actions mov+ =w>d4  #c4 ,/udy on un9t5d$
 impacts on heal? & safety ( p engag$ 9 
transactional sex z a result ( ! loss ( 
c]ta9 onl9e res\rces  7a7 ,/udy ,!      
,secret>y ( ,heal? & ,human ,s]vices 79 
?is section ref]r$ to z ! ,secret>y7 9  
consultation z appropriate ) ! ,director
 ( ! ,c5t]s = ,disease ,control &       

,prev5tion1 ! ,director ( ! ,national   
,in/itutes ( ,heal?1 & ! ,assi/ant      
,secret>y = ,m5tal ,heal? & ,sub/ance   
,use %all /udy ! impacts on ! heal? &   
safety ( p engag$ 9 transactional sex   
result+ f ! loss ( access to int]active 
comput] s]vices 7z def9$ 9 section      
#bcj7;f7 ( ! ,communications ,act (     
#aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bcj7;f777 9       
connection ) ! closure ( websites       
7includ+ ,backpage4com7 t ho/ in=mation 
relat$ to sexual ex*ange1 on or aft]    
,febru>y #bg1 #bjah1 9 anticipation (1  
or 9 response to1 ! enactm5t ( ! ,all[  
,/ates & ,victims to ,fight ,onl9e ,sex 
,traffick+ ,act ( #bjag 7,public ,law   
#aae-afd74  7b7 ,int]views & surveys ,! 
/udy "u subsection 7a7 %all include     
int]views )1 & surveys conduct$ by1     
nonpr(it & community-bas$ organizations 
t provide direct s]vices to p engag$ 9  
transactional sex4  7c7 ,topics ,! /udy 
"u subsection 7a7 %all include assessm5t
 ( ! foll[+ impacts on p engag$ 9       
transactional sex3  7#a7 ,*anges 9      

access to te*nology-relat$ h>m r$uction 
s]vices4  7#b7 ,*anges 9 ability to     
negotiate t]ms ) pot5tial cli5ts4  7#c7 
,*anges 9 exp]i5ces ( viol5ce f cli5ts4 
7#d7 ,*anges 9 int]actions ) law        
en=cem5t (ficials1 includ+ *anges 9     
police surveillance1 /ops1 & arre/s4    
7#e7 ,*anges 9 contact f ?ird p>ties4   
7#f7 ,*anges 9 relation%ip to & reliance
 on ?ird p>ties4  7#g7 ,*anges 9        
exp]i5ces ( exploitation4  7#h7 ,impacts
 on access to economic res\rces4  7#i7  
,impacts on homelessness & h\s+         
/ability4  7#aj7 ,impacts on m5tal      
heal?4  7#aa7 ,impacts on vuln]ability  
to ! transmission ( ,,hiv & o!r sexually
 transmitt$ infections4  7#ab7 ,*anges 9
 p>ticipation 9 o!r crim9aliz$ behavior4
  7#ac7 ,disp>ities 9 ^! effects on key 
populations typically und]s]v$ by s]vice
 provid]s1 specifically ,,lgbtqi        
individuals1 p liv+ 9 rural areas1      
racial & e?nic m9orities1 ,tribal       
communities1 individuals exp]i5c+       
exploitation & traffick+1 & undocum5t$ &

 docum5t$ =eign nationals4  7#ad7 ,any  
o!r impacts on p engag$ 9 cons5sual1    
transactional sex1 z det]m9$ appropriate
 by ! ,secret>y = inclusion 9 ! /udy4   
7d7 ,report ,n lat] ?an "o ye> aft] !   
date ( enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 ! ,secret>y 
%all submit to ! ,congress a report on !
 results ( ! /udy "u subsection 7a7 &   
make su* report available to ! public4