,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chih  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bb1    
#bjbb,ms4 ,cortez ,masto introduced the 
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 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 trafficking1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,human         
,trafficking ,online ,research ,act4    
#b4 ,,nsf support of research on impacts
 of social media on human trafficking   
7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,human trafficking ,the term human      
trafficking means an act or practice    
described in paragraph 7#aa7 or         
paragraph 7#ab7 of section #ajc of the  
,trafficking ,victims ,protection ,act  
of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajb74  7#b7   
,social media platform ,the term social 

media platform means a website or       
internet medium that-- 7,a7 permits a   
person to become a registered user1     
establish an account1 or create a       
profile for the purpose of allowing     
users to create1 share1 and view        
user-generated content through such an  
account or profile2  7,b7 enables #a or 
more users to generate content that can 
be viewed by other users of the medium2 
and  7,c7 primarily serves as a medium  
for users to interact with content      
generated by other users of the medium4 
7#c7 ,commercial sex act ,the term      
commercial sex act means any sex act on 
account of which anything of value1     
including money1 drugs1 shelter1 food1  
or clothing1 is given to or received by 
any person4  7b7 ,support of research   
,the ,director of the ,national ,science
 ,foundation1 in consultation with the  
heads of other relevant ,federal        
agencies1 shall support merit-reviewed  
and competitively awarded research on   
the impact of online social media       

platforms on the maintenance or         
expansion of human trafficking1 which   
may include-- 7#a7 fundamental research 
on digital forensic tools or other      
technologies for verifying the          
authenticity of social media platform   
users and their materials1 that are     
utilized in the promotion or operation  
of human trafficking networks2  7#b7    
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          
trafficking2  7#c7 social and behavioral
 research related to social media       
platform users who engage with those    
promoting or involved in human          
trafficking2  7#d7 research on the      
effectiveness of expanding public       
understanding1 awareness1 or law        
enforcement efforts in combating human  
trafficking through social media        
platforms2 and  7#e7 research awards    
coordinated with other ,federal agencies

 and programs1 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 ,program1 the ,office for  
,victims of ,crime of the ,department of
 ,justice1 the ,blue ,campaign of the   
,department of ,homeland ,security1 the 
,office to ,monitor and ,combat         
,trafficking in ,persons of the         
,department of ,state1 and activities of
 the ,department of ,transportation and 
the ,advisory ,committee on ,human      
,trafficking4  7c7 ,reports  7#a7       
,findings and recommendations ,not later
 than #a year after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of
 the ,national ,science ,foundation     
shall report to the ,committee on       
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate1 the ,subcommittee on   
,commerce1 ,justice1 ,science1 and      

,related ,agencies of the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,senate1 the     
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology of the ,house of            
,representatives1 and the ,subcommittee 
on ,commerce1 ,justice1 ,science1 and   
,related ,agencies of the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives-- 7,a7 the ,director's 
findings with respect to the feasibility
 for research opportunities1 including  
with the private sector social media    
platform companies1 to improve the      
ability to combat human trafficking     
operations2 and  7,b7 any               
recommendations of the ,director that   
could facilitate and improve            
communication and coordination among the
 private sector1 the ,national ,science 
,foundation1 and relevant ,federal      
agencies to improve the ability to      
combat human trafficking operations     
through social media4  7#b7 ,results of 
research ,not later than #d years after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 

,director of the ,national ,science     
,foundation shall report to the         
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate1 the     
,subcommittee on ,commerce1 ,justice1   
,science1 and ,related ,agencies of the 
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate1 the ,committee on ,science1    
,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of
 ,representatives1 and the ,subcommittee
 on ,commerce1 ,justice1 ,science1 and  
,related ,agencies of the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives on the results of the  
research supported under this section4  
7d7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in   
this section shall be construed to      
affect materials and actions associated 
with legal commercial sex acts4