money laundering charges, similar to the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security’s seizure of Rentboy.com 
only a few years prior. 
(10) While these websites and individual ac-
counts have been closing down, there has been no 
national investigation rigorously examining the im-
pact of losing access to these platforms on the health 
and safety of people in consensual, transactional sex 
work. Regional and anecdotal information from 
health and safety service providers and sex workers 
has pointed to significant impacts on the health and 
safety of people who engage in consensual, trans-
actional sex. 
(11) Community organizations have reported 
increased homelessness of sex workers, including of 
sex workers who are caretakers for their families 
and have lost the economic stability provided by ac-
cess to online platforms. 
(12) Sex workers have reported a reduced abil-
ity to screen potential clients for safety, and nego-
tiate for boundaries such as condom use, resulting in 
reports of physical and sexual violence. 
(13) Many sex workers have turned to street- 
based work, which has historically involved higher 
rates of violence than other forms of transactional 
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sex. Street-based sex workers have frequently noted 
practices which harm their health and safety, such 
as the confiscation of condoms by police, or use of 
condoms as evidence of arrest for prostitution. 
(14) With this new level of precarity, isolation, 
and vulnerability, there is substantial anecdotal evi-
dence that members of the sex work community are 
more frequently being contacted by third parties 
seeking to engage in management activities. This in-
cludes both sex workers who had always worked 
independently, as well as those who have previously 
experienced violence and exploitation by a third 
party. 
(15) The Federal Government has long dis-
cussed the importance of assessing collateral con-
sequences when looking at other industries. Com-
prehensive studies are essential to evaluate the im-
pact on human trafficking investigations and pros-
ecutions, and the health and safety of those involved 
in consensual, transactional sex, who are increas-
ingly losing access to digital platforms, which have 
been used for harm reduction information and tech-
niques, and to screen clients. Informed government 
policies begin with seeking out relevant information 
to better guide our actions moving forward. 
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SEC. 3. STUDY ON UNINTENDED IMPACTS ON HEALTH AND 
SAFETY OF PEOPLE ENGAGED IN TRANS-
ACTIONAL SEX AS A RESULT OF THE LOSS OF 
CERTAIN ONLINE RESOURCES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’), 
in consultation, as appropriate, with the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Director 
of the National Institutes of Health, and the Assistant 
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall 
study the impacts on the health and safety of people en-
gaged in transactional sex resulting from the loss of access 
to interactive computer services (as defined in section 
230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
230(f))) in connection with the closure of websites (includ-
ing Backpage.com) that host information related to con-
sensual sexual exchange, on or after February 27, 2018, 
in anticipation of, or in response to, the enactment of the 
Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking 
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–164). 
(b) INTERVIEWS AND SURVEYS.—The study under 
subsection (a) shall include interviews with, and surveys 
conducted by, nonprofit and community-based organiza-
tions that provide direct services to people engaged in 
transactional sex. 
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(c) TOPICS.—The study under subsection (a) shall in-
clude assessment of the following impacts on people en-
gaged in transactional sex: 
(1) Changes in access to technology-related 
harm reduction services, including social media serv-
ices. 
(2) Changes in ability to negotiate terms with 
potential clients. 
(3) Changes in experiences of violence from cli-
ents. 
(4) Changes in interactions with law enforce-
ment officials, including changes in police surveil-
lance, stops, and arrests. 
(5) Changes in contact from third parties. 
(6) Changes in relationship to and reliance on 
third parties. 
(7) Changes in experiences of exploitation and 
trafficking. 
(8) Impacts on access to economic resources. 
(9) Impacts on access to banking and financial 
technology tools. 
(10) Impacts on homelessness and housing sta-
bility. 
(11) Impacts on mental health. 
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(12) Impacts on vulnerability to the trans-
mission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infec-
tions. 
(13) 
Changes 
in 
participation 
in 
other 
criminalized behavior. 
(14) Disparities in the effects described in 
paragraphs (1) through (13) on key populations 
typically underserved by service providers, including 
LGBTQIA+ individuals, people living in rural areas, 
racial and ethnic minorities, Tribal communities, 
people experiencing exploitation and trafficking, and 
undocumented and documented foreign nationals. 
(15) Any other impacts on people engaged in 
transactional sex, as determined appropriate by the 
Secretary. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report on the results of the study under sub-
section (a) and make such report available to the public. 
SEC. 4. REPORT ON IMPACTS ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS 
A RESULT OF THE LOSS OF CERTAIN ONLINE 
RESOURCES. 
(a) REPORT.—The Attorney General shall report on 
the impacts on human trafficking investigations and pros-
ecutions resulting from the loss of access to interactive 
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computer services (as defined in section 230(f) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f))) in con-
nection 
with 
the 
closure 
of 
websites 
(including 
Backpage.com) that host information related to consen-
sual sexual exchange, on or after February 27, 2018, in 
anticipation of, or in response to, the enactment of the 
Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking 
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–164). 
(b) INTERVIEWS AND SURVEYS.—The report under 
subsection (a) shall include interviews with nonprofit and 
community-based organizations that provide direct serv-
ices to survivors of human trafficking or people engaged 
in transactional sex. 
(c) TOPICS.—The report under subsection (a) shall 
include an assessment of the following impacts of the clo-
sure of Backpage.com and other seized websites, the pre-
emptive closure of other websites associated with commer-
cial and noncommercial sex, the changes to civil liability 
for websites, and moderation or other operational changes 
in relation to the changes in liability pursuant to the Allow 
States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act 
of 2017 (Public Law 115–164) (or any amendments made 
by such Act): 
(1) Impact on access to online communication 
technologies, including social media services. 
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(2) Impact on investigations into trafficking in 
persons. 
(3) Impact on prosecution of individuals under 
section 1591(a) of title 18, United States Code. 
(4) Impact on the ability of law enforcement 
agencies to find and prosecute individuals who vio-
late section 1591(a) of title 18, United States Code. 
(5) Impact of changes made by the Allow 
States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking 
Act of 2017 (Public Law) (commonly known as 
‘‘SESTA/FOSTA’’) to section 230 of the Commu-
nications Decency Act on State law enforcement 
agencies and victims of human trafficking seeking 
civil redress against websites engaged in trafficking 
of children in violation of section 1591(a) of title 18, 
United States Code. 
(6) Impact on other policies of the Department 
of Justice with respect to the prosecution of websites 
under section 1591 or 2421A of title 18, United 
States Code. 
(7) Disparities in the impacts described in 
paragraphs (1) through (6) on key populations typi-
cally underserved by service providers, specifically 
LGBTQIA+ individuals, people living in rural areas, 
racial and ethnic minorities, Tribal communities, 
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people experiencing exploitation and trafficking, and 
undocumented and documented foreign nationals. 
(8) Any other impacts on people engaged in 
transactional sex, as determined appropriate by the 
Attorney General. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall sub-
mit to Congress the report required under subsection (a) 
and make such report available to the public. 
Æ 
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