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.

Supporting the observation of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month 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 (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 support, 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 Public Law 1134 19 U.S.C. 4301 Public Law 11422 Public Law 114328 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 (2) a date that has long been celebrated as National Freedom Day Whereas, under the authority of Congress to enforce the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States by appropriate legislation 22 U.S.C. 7101 3P approach That the Senate supports (1) observing National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month (2) marking the observation of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month National Freedom Day (3) all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and raise awareness of, and opposition to, human trafficking and modern slavery.

Summary: Expresses support for observing National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month during the period of January 1-February 1, 2018.