Title: Supporting the observation of "National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month" during January 2019 to promote efforts to prevent, eradicate, and raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for observing National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 90 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 90

Supporting the observation of ``National Slavery and Human Trafficking 
 Prevention Month'' during January 2019 to promote efforts to prevent, 
eradicate, and raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2019

Mr. Costa (for himself, Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Mrs. Wagner, 
   Mr. Ryan, Mr. McNerney, and Mr. Lamborn) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the observation of ``National Slavery and Human Trafficking 
 Prevention Month'' during January 2019 to promote efforts to prevent, 
eradicate, and raise awareness of 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

    (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 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 every survivor of sex and labor trafficking has the right to be truly 
        recognized and treated as a victim and should be treated with the same 
        justice, respect, and dignity as other victims of crime;
Whereas victims of human trafficking are difficult to identify and are subject 
        to manipulation, force, fraud, coercion, and abuse;
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, in addition to holding perpetrators accountable, the Department of 
        Justice also reports on human trafficking, developed a national 
        strategic plan to support trafficking victims, and funds support 
        services;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services plays a critical role in 
        identifying and supporting trafficking victims through the Office of 
        Trafficking in Persons with efforts like the National Human Trafficking 
        Hotline;
Whereas, since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified over 
        45,000 cases of human trafficking;
Whereas in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et 
        seq.), Congress created the T visa program for the victims and families 
        of victims of human trafficking;
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 human trafficking victims deserve a trauma-informed approach that 
        integrates the pursuit of justice and provision of social services 
        designed to help them escape, and recover from, the physical, mental, 
        emotional, and spiritual trauma they endured;
Whereas Congress recently enacted the Department of Homeland Security Blue 
        Campaign Authorization Act (Public Law 115-125) to unify and coordinate 
        Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to address human 
        trafficking;
Whereas DHS uses a victim-centered approach ``which places equal value on the 
        identification and stabilization of victims and providing immigration 
        relief, as well as the investigation and prosecution of traffickers'';
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 although laws to prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking and to 
        assist and protect victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, such 
        as the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-392), the 
        Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-393), the 
        Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017 (Public Law 
        115-427), the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and 
        Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-425), 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), 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), and the National Defense Authorization 
        Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328), 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; and
Whereas the ability to stop the heinous act of human trafficking will take the 
        unified efforts of Congress, Federal agencies, State and local 
        governments, State and local law enforcement, and nonprofit 
        organizations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports--
            (1) observing ``National Slavery and Human Trafficking 
        Prevention Month'' to recognize the vital role that the people 
        of the United States have in ending human trafficking and 
        modern slavery;
            (2) the coordinated efforts of 17 Federal agencies led by 
        the Department of Homeland Security and its Blue Campaign, the 
        Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Human 
        Services;
            (3) urging continued partnerships with State and local 
        governments, social service providers, and nonprofit 
        organizations to address human trafficking with a 
        collaborative, victim-centered approach; and
            (4) all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and raise 
        awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery.
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