Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the important role of the health care industry in identifying victims of sex trafficking.

Bill: 114-hres-730
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Black, Diane [R-TN-6]
Introduced: 2016-05-13
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Crime victims

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health personnel

Health technology, devices, supplies

Human trafficking

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Sex offenses
Latest action: action_date: 2016-05-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-05-13
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Condemns acts of sex trafficking.</p> Urges emergency health care providers to understand the prevalence, characteristics, and indicators of sex trafficking and the important role such providers play in recognizing, helping, and rescuing victims.

tv_txt: IV 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 730 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 13, 2016 Mrs. Black (for herself, Ms. Sewell of Alabama , Mr. Peters , Mr. Hastings , Mrs. Napolitano , Mr. Byrne , Mr. Fleischmann , Mr. Weber of Texas , Ms. Hahn , Mr. Cicilline , Mr. Aderholt , Mr. Roe of Tennessee , and Ms. Clark of Massachusetts ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the important role of the health care industry in identifying victims of sex trafficking.

Whereas sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exploits some of the most vulnerable members of society; Whereas sex trafficking victims face serious health risks including physical injury, drug and alcohol addiction, traumatic brain injury, sexually transmitted diseases, sterility, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and forced or coerced abortions; Whereas studies show that up to 88 percent of sex trafficking victims end up in the emergency setting, health clinic, or doctor’s office at some point during their captivity; Whereas health care providers, especially in the emergency setting, are sometimes the only outsiders that sex trafficking victims come into contact with during their involuntary confinement; Whereas health care providers in the emergency setting have limited training in recognizing this at-risk patient population; and Whereas the United States has and must continue to show strong international leadership when it comes to recognizing, treating, and combating sex trafficking: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) strongly condemns any acts of sex trafficking both in the United States and across the world; (2) recognizes that health care providers are uniquely positioned to intervene on behalf of victims; (3) calls on the health care industry to stay informed on the latest technologies and trends that occur within the sex trafficking trade, including the possibility of implantable devices; and (4) urges the front line of health care providers in the emergency setting to understand the prevalence, characteristics, and indicators of sex trafficking and the important role they can and should play in recognizing, helping, and rescuing victims of this horrendous crime.