Modified Sex Trafficking Bill Passes House, Returns To Senate

The House on Tuesday passed a modified bill (S 2925) that would authorize the Department of Justice to award grants to state and local officials to assist victims of child sex trafficking and prosecute offenders, CQ Today reports.

The bill, which passed 314-20, would allow one-year grants of $2 million to $2.5 million to six state or local law enforcement agencies in various regions of the U.S. The grants could be renewed for up to two years and used for several purposes, including prevention, victim assistance and law enforcement programs. The grants could be used to provide mental health counseling for victims but not for other kinds of medical care.

The measure also would require state child services to adhere to stricter reporting standards, including prompt reporting of missing children to the National Crime Information Center database.

The bill is a modified version of a measure passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on Dec. 9. The House, operating under suspension of the rules, removed a provision concerning subpoena authority for investigations of unregistered sex offenders. The House also modified provisions of the legislation that would impose penalties for the possession of child pornography and set a maximum term of 20 years, removing languages relating to a minimum prison term.

The Senate will have to act on the measure again before it can be sent to President Obama.