Countering Russian Trafficking Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9450 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9450

               To counter Russian trafficking in persons.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 24, 2026

 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Panetta) introduced
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

               To counter Russian trafficking in persons.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Countering Russian Trafficking
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since February 2022, elements of the Russian Federation
        have engaged in the systematic abduction and forcible transfer
        of thousands of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied
        areas of Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation or
        to areas under Russian control, in a pattern that meets the
        definition of a ``severe form of trafficking in persons'' under
        section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
            (2) These operations have been coordinated and facilitated
        by a network of Russian state actors--including Federal
        ministries, regional administrations, the Office of the
        Commissioner for Children's Rights, and affiliated
        ``rehabilitation'' and ``patriotic education'' camps--as well
        as non-state actors, including segments of the Russian Orthodox
        Church and its subordinate dioceses and charitable foundations,
        and private adoption and foster networks operating in occupied
        Ukrainian territory, that together constitute transnational
        organized criminal activity.
            (3) The forced transfer, deportation, indoctrination, and
        re-education of these children is intended to erase their
        Ukrainian national identity and integrate them into Russian
        society, constituting both a war crime under international law
        and a continuing violation of the human rights of the victims
        and their families.
            (4) The network of state and non-state actors described in
        paragraph (2) has generated documented financial benefits from
        the forced transfer, placement, and illegal adoption of
        Ukrainian children, and the conditions created by these
        operations have been reported to facilitate the sex trafficking
        of displaced Ukrainian women and children by organized criminal
        networks operating in Russian-controlled territories, the
        proceeds of which flow to persons within the scope of section
        4(c).

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the systematic abduction and
forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation
constitutes one of the most egregious ongoing human-trafficking crimes
of the 21st century and demands an immediate, aggressive, and
coordinated sanctions response.

SEC. 4. DESIGNATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall apply the measures described
in subsection (b) to the covered persons described in subsection (c).
    (b) Measures Described.--
            (1) In general.--The measures described in this subsection
        are the following:
                    (A) Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of
                Transnational Criminal Organizations).
                    (B) Section 111 of the Trafficking Victims
                Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7108).
            (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this Act may be
        construed to limit the President's authority to impose
        sanctions under any provision of law.
    (c) Covered Persons.--The persons described in this subsection are
persons determined by the President to have participated in, attempted
to engage in, conspired to engage in, or provided material support for
or otherwise facilitated the transfer, deportation, indoctrination, or
re-education of Ukrainian children, including--
            (1) any Federal ministry, regional administration, or
        agency of the Russian Federation;
            (2) any ``rehabilitation,'' ``patriotic education,'' or
        similar camp, facility, or program operated or funded by the
        Russian Federation that has received or processed transferred
        Ukrainian children;
            (3) any entity or instrumentality of the Russian Orthodox
        Church, or any diocese, foundation, or charitable organization
        subordinate to or affiliated with it, to the extent such entity
        has participated in or facilitated the placement, adoption,
        foster care, or ideological re-education of transferred
        Ukrainian children;
            (4) any private adoption agency, foster network, or
        intermediary operating in territory of Ukraine occupied by the
        Russian Federation that has facilitated the removal or transfer
        of Ukrainian children;
            (5) any person who knowingly deals in or otherwise directly
        or indirectly benefits from the proceeds of the activities of
        the persons described in paragraphs (1) through (4);
            (6) any person that has knowingly materially assisted,
        sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological
        support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any
        person described in paragraphs (1) through (5); or
            (7) any person that is owned or controlled by, owns or
        controls, or acts or has acted for or on behalf of, any person
        described in paragraphs (1) through (6).
    (d) List.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the
        appropriate congressional committees an interim unclassified
        list of persons that meet the criteria in subsection (c).
            (2) Form.--The list required by paragraph (1) shall be
        submitted in unclassified form and may contain a classified
        annex.
    (e) Congressional Requests.--Not later than 120 days after
receiving a request from the chairman or ranking member of one of the
appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether a foreign
person meets the criteria of a person described in subsection (c), the
President shall--
            (1) determine if the person meets such criteria; and
            (2) submit a written justification to the chairman and
        ranking member detailing whether or not the President imposed
        or intends to impose sanctions described in subsection (c) with
        respect to such person.
    (f) Regulatory Updates.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the President shall issue such regulations,
guidance, and advisories as may be necessary to implement this Act.
    (g) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
        Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
        Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
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