IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 48 

Supporting the observation of ‘‘National Trafficking and Modern Slavery 

Prevention Month’’ during the period beginning on January 1, 2019, 

and ending on February 1, 2019, to raise awareness of, and opposition 

to, human trafficking and modern slavery. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2019 

Mr. LAHOOD (for himself and Mrs. DEMINGS) 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, 2019, and ending on February 

1, 2019, to raise awareness of, and opposition to, human 

trafficking and modern slavery. 

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— 

(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 


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•HRES 48 IH 

(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 human trafficking is a $150 billion per year global 

industry and is one of the most profitable forms of 

transnational crime with more than 40 million victims 

worldwide; 

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 support, advance, or commit acts of human trafficking and 

modern slavery; 


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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; and 

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 

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


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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: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives sup2 ports— 

3 (1) observing ‘‘National Trafficking and Mod4 ern Slavery Prevention Month’’ to recognize and 

5 support the victims of human trafficking and mod6 ern slavery; 

7 (2) recognizing the vital role that people of the 

8 United States have in ending human trafficking and 

9 modern slavery; 

10 (3) marking this observance with appropriate 

11 programs and activities culminating in the observ12 ance of National Freedom Day, as described in sec13 tion 124 of title 36, United States Code; and 

14 (4) 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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