Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) and the House have passed legislation to address the horrific crime of human trafficking, approving, among others, two bills she co-sponsors - the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthen Families Act, H.R. 4980, and the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act, H.R. 2283.
“Passage of these bills is a progression of the recent Human Trafficking Summit I hosted in Columbia, in which a panel of survivors and experts helped raise awareness of this awful crime,” said Hartzler. “The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthen Families Act aims to protect youth at risk of sex trafficking and improve adoption incentives so these youths can find their forever homes. In 2013, 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims recovered in an FBI nationwide raid from over 70 cities were children that had been in foster care or group homes at some point. This bill aims to stem the tide of this atrocious crime by requiring the states to allow for proper services to be provided to those children in foster care who are victims or are at risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking. It goes further to promote normalcy in foster youth so that these kids can integrate more easily into society and into their permanent homes.”
“I am also pleased the House passed the Human Trafficking Prioritization Act which makes the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking more effective in carrying out its duties,” added Hartzler. “Though human trafficking is a global issue, we must not forget that it happens right here in our own backyard. Just last November in Jefferson City, a man was indicted for sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14. We must do all we can to end this. I urge the Senate to quickly take up and approve these important bills to address this heinous criminal activity.”
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