I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8974 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a Blue Campaign 
Certification Program to encourage employers in covered industries to 
encourage employees to complete training to recognize and respond to 
suspected human trafficking, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 9, 2024 
Mr. VALADAO (for himself and Mr. CARTER of Louisiana) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish 
a Blue Campaign Certification Program to encourage 
employers in covered industries to encourage employees 
to complete training to recognize and respond to sus-
pected human trafficking, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Human Trafficking 
Awareness Training Recognition Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. AWARD. 
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 434 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 434A. BLUE CAMPAIGN CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a Blue 
Campaign Certification Program (in this section referred 
to as the ‘Program’) to encourage efforts by employers 
in covered industries to encourage employees to complete 
training to recognize and respond to suspected human 
trafficking. The Secretary shall provide a certificate of 
completion to eligible employers. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) SOLICITATION OF APPLICATIONS.—During 
each year in which the Secretary provides a certifi-
cate of completion, the Secretary shall solicit appli-
cations, beginning not later than January 31 and 
ending not earlier than April 30, from employers to 
consider whether such employers should receive such 
certificate. 
‘‘(2) REVIEW
OF
APPLICATIONS.—The Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Director of Home-
land Security Investigations, shall review each appli-
cation received in a year. 
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‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF APPLICATIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall require each employer who submits an 
application to provide in such application— 
‘‘(A) information about the training to rec-
ognize and respond to suspected human traf-
ficking that such employer provided to the em-
ployees of such employer; and 
‘‘(B) any other information the Secretary 
determines appropriate. 
‘‘(c) RECOGNITION OF RECIPIENTS.— 
‘‘(1) ISSUANCE
OF
AWARDS.—The Secretary 
shall provide a certificate of completion to each em-
ployer whom the Secretary determines is eligible. 
The certificate of completion shall state that the re-
cipient may display such certificate for a 1-year pe-
riod beginning on the date on which such certificate 
is provided. 
‘‘(2) NOTICE
IN
FEDERAL
REGISTER.—The 
Secretary shall recognize each such recipient 
through publication in the Federal Register. 
‘‘(d) PROHIBITED DISPLAY.—It is prohibited for any 
employer to publicly display a Blue Campaign Certifi-
cation of Completion— 
‘‘(1) for the purpose of conveying, or in a man-
ner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impres-
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cluding the name of each employer to whom a Blue 
Campaign Certification of Completion was awarded; 
‘‘(4) the cost of administering the Program in 
the prior year; and 
‘‘(5) any other matter the Secretary determines 
appropriate. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION FOR APPLICATION FEES.—The 
Secretary is authorized to establish a reasonable fee to be 
imposed on employers submitting applications for a Blue 
Campaign Certification of Completion to cover the cost of 
carrying out the Program. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COVERED INDUSTRY.—The term ‘covered 
industry’ means any industry that the Secretary has 
determined— 
‘‘(A) has a relatively high prevalence of 
human trafficking; and 
‘‘(B) that human trafficking awareness 
training could have a significant impact. 
‘‘(2) EMPLOYER.—The term ‘employer’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 3 of the Fair 
Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203), ex-
cept that such term does not include a public agency 
(as defined in such section 3). 
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‘‘(3) HUMAN TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘human 
trafficking’ has the meaning given the term ‘severe 
forms of trafficking in person’ in section 103 of the 
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 
U.S.C. 7102). 
‘‘(4) SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.— 
The term ‘Secretary of Homeland Security’ means 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through 
the Director of the Blue Campaign. 
‘‘(5) TRAINING.—The term ‘training’ means the 
training to recognize and respond to suspected 
human trafficking.’’. 
SEC. 3. BLUE CAMPAIGN. 
Section 434(e) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 242(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as para-
graph (9); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8) increased coordination with experts from 
the private sector, academic institutions, and other 
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covered industries (as such term is defined in section 
434A).’’. 
Æ 
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