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119-hr-9071119th Congress

Preventing Trafficking of Minors Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22]

Introduced

Summary

Strengthens federal criminal penalties for sexual exploitation of minors. It would expand the federal coercion and enticement law to cover six specific commercial-sex activities involving anyone under 18 and bar common defenses such as claiming the victim was an adult.

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  • Creates broader protection for children by criminalizing persuading, inducing, enticing, engaging in, soliciting, paying for, entering to commit, or attempting commercial sex acts with persons under 18. "Sex act" includes sexual contact.
  • Limits defenses prosecutors must overcome by making it not a defense that the defendant did not know the victim's age or reasonably believed the victim was 18, if the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to observe the victim. It also removes the need to prove force, fraud, or coercion for minors and bars claiming an undercover officer posed as a defense.
  • Expands where the law reaches by covering mail, telephone, internet, and special maritime and territorial jurisdiction. Penalties would start at 10 years, rise to at least 15 years if the minor is under 14, and can extend to life. The law would take effect 180 days after enactment and apply to offenses after that date.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Stronger federal bans on trafficking minors

This bill would broaden federal criminal rules against commercial sex with anyone under 18. It would make six types of conduct illegal when done by mail, phone, internet, or in certain federal areas, including persuading a minor into commercial sex, paying for sex with a minor, entering a place to have sex with a minor, or attempting those acts. The bill would define “minor” as anyone under 18 and say a “sex act” includes sexual contact. It would also remove defenses based on not knowing age or claiming an undercover officer, and raise minimum prison terms to at least 10 years (or 15 years if the victim is under 14).

If court strikes part, rest stays

This bill would include a severability rule saying that if a court finds one part unconstitutional, the rest of the law would still stand. The clause would take effect 180 days after enactment as part of the Act.

Start date for new rules

This bill would take effect 180 days after enactment. It would apply only to offenses committed on or after that date. People and courts would use that date to decide whether the new bans, defenses limits, and penalties apply to a given case.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22]

TX • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 5/29/2026

  • Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8]

    CO • R

    Sponsored 5/29/2026

  • Rep. Kiley, Kevin [I-CA-3]

    CA • I

    Sponsored 7/14/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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