I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7710 
To establish the National Counter Human Trafficking Research and 
Development Initiative, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 10, 2022 
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin (for herself, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, and Mr. 
BEYER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Small Business, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish the National Counter Human Trafficking 
Research and Development Initiative, 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 ‘‘Counter Human Traf-
ficking Research and Development Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Trafficking in persons is a multi-billion dol-
lar transnational illicit enterprise. 
(2) Globally, millions of people, including chil-
dren, are trafficked each year through sexual exploi-
tation or forced labor. 
(3) Human trafficking impacts every country 
around the world, including the United States, 
whether as the country of origin, transit, or destina-
tion, or combination of all three. 
(4) Science and technology have important roles 
to play in combatting human trafficking. The 2019 
United Nations Interagency Coordination Group 
Against Trafficking in Persons report states that 
technology can help practitioners combat trafficking, 
such as by aiding investigations, enhancing prosecu-
tions, raising awareness, providing service to victims, 
and shedding light on the make-up and operation of 
trafficking networks. 
(5) Limited data sources and data fragmenta-
tion are major barriers to anti-trafficking efforts, 
both domestically and globally, and has limited the 
ability to carry out rigorous study of human traf-
ficking. 
(6) Key areas of need for research and tech-
nology development to counter human trafficking are 
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measuring the prevalence of trafficking, identifying 
effective mechanisms for disrupting human traf-
ficking networks, establishing metrics of success for 
ongoing efforts to combat trafficking, understanding 
long and short-term needs of victims and survivors, 
vulnerability reduction, trafficking prevention and 
demand reduction, understanding how legitimate 
businesses may enable human trafficking, under-
standing all forms of trafficking, including labor 
trafficking, the nature and characteristics of victims 
of human trafficking in the United States, under-
standing illicit activities and corruption associated 
with human trafficking, and evaluating the efficacy 
and impact of anti-trafficking interventions. 
(7) To improve efforts to counter human traf-
ficking, the Federal Government must address major 
barriers to human trafficking research and tech-
nology development by improving and increasing co-
ordination of research efforts and information shar-
ing among researchers, Federal agencies, law en-
forcement, local, State, and Tribal governments, pri-
vate sector, survivors and survivor organizations, 
policymakers, international partners, and other 
stakeholder communities. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘trafficking’’ has the meaning 
given the term ‘‘severe forms of trafficking in persons’’ 
in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 
of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). 
SEC. 4. COUNTER HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
shall establish a National Counter Human Trafficking Re-
search and Development Initiative to improve counter 
human trafficking efforts through— 
(1) supporting interdisciplinary research in 
data, computational, and information sciences, engi-
neering and social and behavioral sciences to accel-
erate scientific understanding and technological in-
novation that contributes to the prevention, identi-
fication, and disruption of human trafficking within 
and across communities, including urban, rural, and 
indigenous and tribal communities, including— 
(A) research and development on tools for 
measuring the prevalence of human trafficking; 
(B) design, development, implementation, 
adaptation, and evaluation of human trafficking 
interventions; 
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