,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #daj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #g1 #bjai,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself and ,mr4 ,toomey7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states to carry out a study on how virtual currencies and online marketplaces are used to buy1 sell1 or facilitate the financing of goods or services associated with sex trafficking or drug trafficking1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,fight ,illicit ,networks and ,detect ,trafficking ,act or the ,,find ,trafficking ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,according to the ,drug ,enforcement ,administration #bjag ,national ,drug ,threat ,assessment1 transnational criminal organizations are increasingly using virtual currencies4 7#b7 ,in the #bjae ,national ,money ,laundering ,risk ,assessment1 the ,department of the ,treasury concluded3 ,the development of virtual currencies is an attempt to meet a legitimate market demand4 ,according to a ,federal ,reserve ,bank of ,chicago economist1 ,united ,states consumers want payment options that are versatile and that provide immediate finality4 ,no ,united ,states payment method meets that description1 although cash may come closest4 ,virtual currencies can mimic cash's immediate finality and anonymity and are more versatile than cash for online and cross-border transactions1 making virtual currencies vulnerable for illicit transactions44 7#c7 ,virtual currencies have become a prominent method to pay for goods and services associated with illegal sex trafficking and drug trafficking1 which are two of the most detrimental and troubling illegal activities facilitated by online marketplaces4 7#d7 ,online marketplaces1 including the dark web1 have become a prominent platform to buy1 sell1 and advertise for illicit goods and services associated with sex trafficking and drug trafficking4 7#e7 ,according to the ,international ,labour ,organization1 in #bjaf1 #d1hjj1jjj people in the world were victims of forced sexual exploitation1 and in #bjad1 the global profit from commercial sexual exploitation was #ii1jjj1jjj1jjj4 7#f7 ,in #bjaf1 within the ,united ,states1 the ,center for ,disease ,control estimated that there were #fd1jjj deaths related to drug overdose1 and the most severe increase in drug overdoses were those associated with fentanyl and fentanyl analogs 7synthetic opioids71 which amounted to over #bj1jjj overdose deaths4 7#g7 ,according to the #bjae ,national ,money ,laundering ,risk ,assessment published by the ,department of the ,treasury1 an estimated #fd1jjj1jjj1jjj is generated annually from ,united ,states drug trafficking sales4 7#h7 ,illegal fentanyl in the ,united ,states originates primarily from ,china1 and it is readily available to purchase through online marketplaces4 #c4 ,,gao study 7a7 ,study required ,the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall conduct a study on how virtual currencies and online marketplaces are used to facilitate sex and drug trafficking4 ,the study shall consider-- 7#a7 how online marketplaces1 including the dark web1 are being used as platforms to buy1 sell1 or facilitate the financing of goods or services associated with sex trafficking or drug trafficking 7specifically1 opioids and synthetic opioids1 including fentanyl1 fentanyl analogs1 and any precursor chemicals associated with manufacturing fentanyl or fentanyl analogs7 destined for1 originating from1 or within the ,united ,states2 7#b7 how financial payment methods1 including virtual currencies and peer-to-peer mobile payment services1 are being utilized by online marketplaces to facilitate the buying1 selling1 or financing of goods and services associated with sex or drug trafficking destined for1 originating from1 or within the ,united ,states2 7#c7 how virtual currencies are being used to facilitate the buying1 selling1 or financing of goods and services associated with sex or drug trafficking1 destined for1 originating from1 or within the ,united ,states1 when an online platform is not otherwise involved2 7#d7 how illicit funds that have been transmitted online and through virtual currencies are repatriated into the formal banking system of the ,united ,states through money laundering or other means2 7#e7 the participants 7state and non-state actors7 throughout the entire supply chain that participate in or benefit from the buying1 selling1 or financing of goods and services associated with sex or drug trafficking 7either through online marketplaces or virtual currencies7 destined for1 originating from1 or within the ,united ,states2 7#f7 ,federal and ,state agency efforts to impede the buying1 selling1 or financing of goods and services associated with sex or drug trafficking through online marketplaces or virtual currencies destined for1 originating from1 or within the ,united ,states1 including efforts to prevent the proceeds from sex or drug trafficking from entering the ,united ,states banking system through online marketplaces or virtual currencies2 7#g7 how virtual currencies and their underlying technologies can be used to detect and deter these illicit activities2 and 7#h7 to what extent can the immutable and traceable nature of virtual currencies contribute to the tracking and prosecution of illicit funding4 7b7 ,scope ,for the purposes of the study required under subsection 7a71 the term sex trafficking means the recruitment1 harboring1 transportation1 provision1 obtaining1 patronizing1 or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act that is induced by force1 fraud1 or coercion1 or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained #ah years of age4 7c7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall submit to the ,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,financial ,services of the ,house of ,representatives a report summarizing the results of the study required under subsection 7a71 together with any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that would improve the efforts of ,federal agencies to impede the use of virtual currencies and online marketplaces in facilitating sex and drug trafficking4