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 na-
tional imperative to eliminate human trafficking and 
modern slavery, which is commonly considered to mean— 
(1) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, pro-
vision, 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 in-
vestigated 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 vic-
tims 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 gov-
ernments 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 indi-
viduals, groups, organizations, and countries that sup-
port, 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, emo-
tional, and spiritual trauma associated with their victim-
ization; 
Whereas human traffickers use many physical and psycho-
logical 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 reli-
gious 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 identifica-
tion documents of the victim; and 
(8) threats of arrest, deportation, or imprisonment if 
the victim attempts to reach out for assistance or to es-
cape; 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 Traf-
ficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–22; 129 Stat. 227), 
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•HRES 48 IH 
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 in-
crease public awareness, particularly amongst individuals 
who are most likely to come into contact with victims of 
human trafficking and modern slavery, regarding condi-
tions 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives sup-
ports— 
(1) observing ‘‘National Trafficking and Mod-
ern Slavery Prevention Month’’ to recognize and 
support the victims of human trafficking and mod-
ern slavery; 
(2) recognizing the vital role that people of the 
United States have in ending human trafficking and 
modern slavery; 
(3) marking this observance with appropriate 
programs and activities culminating in the observ-
ance of National Freedom Day, as described in sec-
tion 124 of title 36, United States Code; and 
(4) all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and 
raise awareness of, and opposition to, human traf-
ficking and modern slavery. 
Æ 
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