PORTLAND — Sen. Ron Wyden is proposing a new bill to boost protection for girls who become sex trafficking victims and tougher prosecution for the men who exploit them.

The Oregon Democrat was joined at a news conference Thursday afternoon in Portland by law enforcement leaders, including Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel and District Attorney Michael Schrunk.

Wyden said sex trafficking amounts to slavery, and the new bill would fund social and legal services to help girls escape from pimps who prostitute them.

It will also provide housing, clothing, counseling and job training to prevent girls from returning to the streets.

The proposed legislation would target federal funds to states with the greatest need, including Oregon. Each pilot project would receive a grant of $2.5 million for victims and to expand sex trafficking investigations.