[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 225 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 225

 Supporting the goals and ideals of observing the National Slavery and 
Trafficking Prevention Month from January 1 through February 1 of each 
     year to raise awareness of, and opposition to, modern slavery.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 16, 2009

   Mr. Schiff (for himself and Ms. Granger) submitted the following 
   concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the goals and ideals of observing the National Slavery and 
Trafficking Prevention Month from January 1 through February 1 of each 
     year to raise awareness of, and opposition to, modern slavery.

Whereas the United States has a tradition of advancing fundamental human rights, 
        having abolished the Transatlantic Slave Trade in 1808 and having 
        abolished chattel slavery and prohibited involuntary servitude in 1865;
Whereas because the people of the United States remain committed to protecting 
        individual freedom, there is a national imperative to eliminate human 
        trafficking, which is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, 
        provision, or obtaining of persons for labor or services through the use 
        of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to 
        involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery, and the 
        inducement of a commercial sex act by force, fraud, or coercion, or in 
        which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years 
        of age;
Whereas to combat human trafficking in the United States and globally, the 
        people of the United States, the Federal Government, and State and local 
        governments must be aware of the realities of human trafficking and must 
        be dedicated to stopping this contemporary manifestation of slavery;
Whereas beyond all differences of race, creed, or political persuasion, the 
        people of the United States face national threats together and refuse to 
        let modern slavery exist in the United States and around the world;
Whereas the United States should actively oppose all individuals, groups, 
        organizations, and nations who support, advance, or commit acts of human 
        trafficking;
Whereas the United States must also work to end slavery in all of its forms 
        around the world through education;
Whereas victims of modern slavery need support in order to escape and to recover 
        from the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma associated 
        with their victimization;
Whereas human traffickers use many physical and psychological techniques to 
        control their victims, including the use of violence or threats of 
        violence against the victim or the victim's family, isolation from the 
        public, isolation from the victim's family and religious or ethnic 
        communities, language and cultural barriers, shame, control of the 
        victim's possessions, confiscation of passports and other identification 
        documents, and threats of arrest, deportation, or imprisonment if the 
        victim attempts to reach out for assistance or to leave;
Whereas although laws to prosecute perpetrators of modern slavery and to assist 
        and protect victims of human trafficking, such as the Trafficking 
        Victims Protection Act of 2000 (division A of Public Law 106-386; 114 
        Stat. 1466) and the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection 
        Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-457; 122 Stat. 5044), have 
        been enacted in the United States, awareness of the issues surrounding 
        slavery and trafficking by those people most likely to come into contact 
        with victims is essential for effective enforcement because the 
        techniques that traffickers use to keep their victims enslaved severely 
        limit self-reporting;
Whereas January 1 is the anniversary of the effective date of the Emancipation 
        Proclamation;
Whereas February 1 is the anniversary of the date that President Abraham Lincoln 
        signed the joint resolution sending the 13th Amendment to the States for 
        ratification, to forever declare that ``Neither slavery nor involuntary 
        servitude . . . shall exist within the United States, or any place 
        subject to their jurisdiction'' and is a date which has long been 
        celebrated as National Freedom Day, as described in section 124 of title 
        36, United States Code;
Whereas, under its authority to enforce the 13th Amendment ``by appropriate 
        legislation,'' Congress in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
        2000 updated the post-Civil War involuntary servitude and slavery 
        statutes and adopted an approach known as the ``3P'' approach of victim 
        protection, vigorous prosecution, and prevention of human trafficking; 
        and
Whereas the effort by individuals, businesses, organizations, and governing 
        bodies to commemorate January 11 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day 
        represents one of the many positive examples of the commitment in the 
        United States to raise awareness of and to actively oppose modern 
        slavery: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress supports--
            (1) the goals and ideals of observing National Slavery and 
        Trafficking Prevention Month to recognize the vital role that 
        the people of the United States have in ending modern slavery;
            (2) marking this observance with appropriate programs and 
        activities culminating in the observance of National Freedom 
        Day, as described in section 124 of title 36, United States 
        Code; and
            (3) all other efforts to raise awareness of and opposition 
        to human trafficking.
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