III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 385 

Supporting the observation of ‘‘National Trafficking and Modern Slavery 

Prevention Month’’ during the period beginning on January 1, 2018, 

and ending on February 1, 2018, to raise awareness of, and opposition 

to, human trafficking and modern slavery. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 29, 2018 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. TOOMEY, Ms. HEITKAMP, 

Mr. RUBIO, and Mrs. SHAHEEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the observation of ‘‘National Trafficking and 

Modern Slavery Prevention Month’’ during the period 

beginning on January 1, 2018, and ending on February 

1, 2018, to raise awareness of, and opposition to, human 

trafficking and modern slavery. 

Whereas the United States abolished the transatlantic slave 

trade in 1808 and abolished chattel slavery and prohibited involuntary servitude in 1865; 

Whereas, because the people of the United States remain 

committed to protecting individual freedom, there is a national imperative to eliminate human trafficking and 

modern slavery, which is commonly considered to mean— 


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•SRES 385 IS 

(1) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of an individual through the use of 

force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjecting 

that individual to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt 

bondage, or slavery; or 

(2) the inducement of a commercial sex act by force, 

fraud, or coercion, or in which the individual induced to 

perform that act is younger than 18 years of age; 

Whereas the Department of Justice has reported that human 

trafficking and modern slavery has been reported and investigated in each of the 50 States and the District of 

Columbia; 

Whereas, to help businesses in the United States combat 

child labor and forced labor in global supply chains, the 

Department of Labor has identified 139 goods from 75 

countries that are made by child labor and forced labor; 

Whereas the Department of State has reported that the top 

3 countries of origin of federally identified trafficking victims in 2016 were the United States, Mexico, and the 

Philippines; 

Whereas, to combat human trafficking and modern slavery in 

the United States and globally, the people of the United 

States, the Federal Government, and State and local governments must be— 

(1) aware of the realities of human trafficking and 

modern slavery; and 

(2) dedicated to stopping the horrific enterprise of 

human trafficking and modern slavery; 

Whereas the United States should hold accountable all individuals, groups, organizations, and countries that supVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:10 Jan 30, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR385.IS SR385

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•SRES 385 IS 

port, advance, or commit acts of human trafficking and 

modern slavery; 

Whereas, through education, the United States must also 

work to end human trafficking and modern slavery in all 

forms in the United States and around the world; 

Whereas victims of human trafficking and modern slavery 

should receive the necessary resources and social services 

to escape, and recover from, the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma associated with their victimization; 

Whereas human traffickers use many physical and psychological techniques to control a victim, including— 

(1) the use of violence or threats of violence against 

the victim or the family of the victim; 

(2) isolation of the victim from the public; 

(3) isolation of the victim from the family and religious or ethnic community of the victim; 

(4) exploitation of language and cultural barriers; 

(5) shame; 

(6) control of the possessions of the victim; 

(7) confiscation of the passport and other identification documents of the victim; and 

(8) threats of arrest, deportation, or imprisonment if 

the victim attempts to reach out for assistance or to escape; 

Whereas, although laws to prosecute perpetrators of human 

trafficking and to assist and protect victims of human 

trafficking and modern slavery, such as the Trafficking 

Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), 

title XII of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization 

Act of 2013 (Public Law 113–4; 127 Stat. 136), the 

Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 


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•SRES 385 IS 

(19 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.), the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–22; 129 Stat. 227), 

and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2000), have 

been enacted in the United States, it is essential to increase public awareness, particularly amongst individuals 

who are most likely to come into contact with victims of 

human trafficking and modern slavery, regarding conditions and dynamics of human trafficking and modern 

slavery precisely because traffickers use techniques that 

are designed to severely limit self-reporting and evade law 

enforcement; 

Whereas January 1 is the anniversary of the effective date 

of the Emancipation Proclamation; 

Whereas February 1 is— 

(1) the anniversary of the date on which President 

Abraham Lincoln signed the joint resolution sending the 

13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United 

States to the States for ratification to forever declare 

that ‘‘Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude . . . shall 

exist within the United States, or any place subject to 

their jurisdiction’’; and 

(2) a date that has long been celebrated as ‘‘National Freedom Day’’, as described in section 124 of title 

36, United States Code; and 

Whereas, under the authority of Congress to enforce the 13th 

Amendment to the Constitution of the United States ‘‘by 

appropriate legislation’’, Congress, through the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 

et seq.), updated the post-Civil War involuntary servitude 

and slavery statutes and adopted an approach of victim 

protection, vigorous prosecution, and prevention of 


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•SRES 385 IS 

human trafficking, commonly known as the ‘‘3P approach’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate supports— 

2 (1) observing ‘‘National Trafficking and Mod3 ern Slavery Prevention Month’’ during the period 

4 beginning on January 1, 2018, and ending on Feb5 ruary 1, 2018, to recognize the vital role that the 

6 people of the United States have in ending human 

7 trafficking and modern slavery; 

8 (2) marking the observation of ‘‘National Traf9 ficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month’’ with 

10 appropriate programs and activities, culminating in 

11 the observance on February 1, 2018, of ‘‘National 

12 Freedom Day’’, as described in section 124 of title 

13 36, United States Code; and 

14 (3) all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and 

15 raise awareness of, and opposition to, human traf16 ficking and modern slavery. 

Æ 


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