I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7546 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the punishment for 
human trafficking in a school zone, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 21, 2022 
Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the 
punishment for human trafficking in a school zone, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Human Traf-
ficking in School Zones Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Child sex trafficking can have devastating 
immediate and long-term consequences, including 
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health impacts, psychological and physical trauma, 
and even death. 
(2) While any child can be targeted by a traf-
ficker, research, data, survivors’ lived experiences, 
and expertise have revealed that traffickers often 
target vulnerable youth who lack strong support net-
works, supervision, care, or basic necessities, have 
low self-esteem, have experienced violence in the 
past, are experiencing homelessness, are experi-
encing academic difficulties, or are marginalized by 
society, and lure them into forced labor and pros-
titution and other forms of sexual exploitation. Traf-
fickers are masters of manipulation and prey upon 
vulnerabilities using psychological pressure, intimi-
dation, and drugs to control and sexually exploit the 
child for their benefit. 
(3) The National Center for Missing and Ex-
ploited Children (NCMEC) has received reports of 
child sex trafficking in all 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These reports include 
incidents occurring in every type of community, in-
cluding suburban, rural, urban, and Tribal lands. In 
2021, NCMEC received more than 17,200 reports of 
possible child sex trafficking. 
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(4) Of 22,326 trafficking victims and survivors 
identified through contacts with the National 
Human Trafficking Hotline in 2019, at least 5,359 
were under age 18. 
(5) Many underage victims of sex trafficking 
are students in the United States school system. No 
community, school, socioeconomic group, or student 
demographic is immune. 
(6) While the internet and social media make 
up the majority of first encounters, traffickers regu-
larly find young people in shopping malls, through 
friends, at bus stops, and at schools. Specifically, 
traffickers systematically target vulnerable children 
and youth by frequenting locations where young peo-
ple congregate, including schools. They also use 
peers or classmates, who befriend the target and 
slowly groom them for the trafficker by bringing the 
young person along to parties and other activities. 
(7) A 2018 survey reported that 55 percent of 
young sex trafficking survivors in Texas were traf-
ficked while at school or school activities and 60 per-
cent of trafficked adults say they were first groomed 
and solicited for trafficking on school campuses. 
(8) Schools can and should be safe havens for 
students. Schools are best positioned to identify and 
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