[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 340 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 340

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that all necessary measures should 
     be taken to protect children in the United States from human 
trafficking, especially during the upcoming Super Bowl, an event around 
              which many children are trafficked for sex.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 28, 2014

Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Portman, and Mr. Booker) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that all necessary measures should 
     be taken to protect children in the United States from human 
trafficking, especially during the upcoming Super Bowl, an event around 
              which many children are trafficked for sex.

Whereas according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an estimated 200,000 
        to 300,000 children in the United States are at risk of commercial 
        sexual exploitation;
Whereas the average age of victims at the time of their entry into sex 
        trafficking is between just 12 and 14 years old;
Whereas sex trafficking victims are often abducted or lured into running away by 
        traffickers;
Whereas sex trafficking victims are routinely raped and beaten, and sometimes 
        even branded;
Whereas the vast majority of child victims of sex trafficking are children from 
        the foster care system, where they have often been failed by the 
        officials entrusted to protect them;
Whereas instances of sex trafficking occur in every State, and tens of thousands 
        of men, women, and children are brought to the United States every year 
        and exploited for sex and labor by traffickers;
Whereas it is widely recognized that the beloved American tradition of the Super 
        Bowl, an event that draws tens of thousands of fans to the host city, 
        like other major recreational events, leads to a surge in the sex 
        trafficking of underage girls and boys in the host city; and
Whereas traffickers aggressively advertise and sell sex trafficking victims on 
        websites like Backpage.com during the Super Bowl in order to meet the 
        increased demand from visitors to the host city: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) law enforcement officers, the juvenile justice system, 
        social services, and the public should recognize and treat all 
        children being trafficked for sex as victims of human 
        trafficking each and every day of the year; and
            (2) Federal and State law enforcement agencies should take 
        all necessary measures to protect children in the United States 
        from harm, including arresting and prosecuting both traffickers 
        and buyers of children for sex in accordance with the 
        applicable State and Federal laws against child abuse, 
        statutory rape, and human trafficking, particularly during the 
        festivities surrounding Super Bowl XLVIII.
                                 <all>