[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 76 (Tuesday, May 20, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H4509-H4515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           STOP EXPLOITATION THROUGH TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2014

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3610) to stop exploitation through trafficking, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3610

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Exploitation Through 
     Trafficking Act of 2014''.

     SEC. 2. SAFE HARBOR INCENTIVES.

       Part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 1701(c), by striking ``where feasible'' and 
     all that follows, and inserting the following: ``where 
     feasible, to an application--
       ``(1) for hiring and rehiring additional career law 
     enforcement officers that involves a non-Federal contribution 
     exceeding the 25 percent minimum under subsection (g); or
       ``(2) from an applicant in a State that has in effect a law 
     that--
       ``(A) treats a minor who has engaged in, or has attempted 
     to engage in, a commercial sex act as a victim of a severe 
     form of trafficking in persons;
       ``(B) discourages the charging or prosecution of an 
     individual described in subparagraph (A) for a prostitution 
     or sex trafficking offense, based on the conduct described in 
     subparagraph (A); or
       ``(C) encourages the diversion of an individual described 
     in subparagraph (A) to appropriate service providers, 
     including child welfare services, victim treatment programs, 
     child advocacy centers, rape crisis centers, or other social 
     services.''; and
       (2) in section 1709, by inserting at the end the following:
       ``(5) `commercial sex act' has the meaning given the term 
     in section 103 of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence 
     Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
       ``(6) `minor' means an individual who has not attained the 
     age of 18 years.
       ``(7) `severe form of trafficking in persons' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 103 of the Victims of 
     Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
     7102).''.

     SEC. 3. REPORT ON RESTITUTION PAID IN CONNECTION WITH CERTAIN 
                   TRAFFICKING OFFENSES.

       Section 105(d)(7)(Q) of the Victims of Trafficking and 
     Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7103(d)(7)(Q)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by inserting after ``1590,'' the following: ``1591,'';
       (2) by striking ``and 1594'' and inserting ``1594, 2251, 
     2251A, 2421, 2422, and 2423'';
       (3) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (4) in clause (v), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
       (5) by inserting after clause (v) the following:
       ``(vi) the number of individuals required by a court order 
     to pay restitution in connection with a violation of each 
     offense under title 18, United States Code, the amount of 
     restitution required to be paid under each such order, and 
     the amount of restitution actually paid pursuant to each such 
     order; and
       ``(vii) the age, gender, race, country of origin, country 
     of citizenship, and description of the role in the offense of 
     individuals convicted under each offense; and''.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE.

       Section 107(b)(2) of the Victims of Trafficking and 
     Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105(b)(2)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as 
     subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
       ``(B) National human trafficking hotline.--Beginning in 
     fiscal year 2017 and each fiscal year thereafter, of amounts 
     made available for grants under this paragraph, the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services shall make grants for a national 
     communication system to assist victims of severe forms of 
     trafficking in persons in communicating with service 
     providers. The Secretary shall give priority to grant 
     applicants that have experience in providing telephone 
     services to victims of severe forms of trafficking in 
     persons.''.

     SEC. 5. JOB CORPS ELIGIBILITY.

       Section 144(3) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 
     U.S.C. 2884(3)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(F) A victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons 
     (as defined in section 103 of the Victims of Trafficking and 
     Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102)). 
     Notwithstanding paragraph (2), an individual described in 
     this subparagraph shall not be required to demonstrate 
     eligibility under such paragraph.''.

     SEC. 6. CLARIFICATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED STATES 
                   MARSHALS SERVICE.

       Section 566(e)(1) of title 28, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C), the following:
       ``(D) assist State, local, and other Federal law 
     enforcement agencies, upon the request of such an agency, in 
     locating and recovering missing children.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 3610, currently under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  There is no more vulnerable segment of this country's population than 
its children. For far too long, jurisdictions across the country have 
failed to adequately protect and support minor victims of commercial 
sex trafficking by treating them as the criminals. This must stop.
  Unfortunately, according to FBI statistics, the commercial sex trade 
is the fastest-growing activity of organized criminal groups. The 
number of children facing sexual exploitation, rape,

[[Page H4510]]

emotional trauma, and in many cases criminal prosecution grows every 
day.
  Despite the fact that Congress has long recognized that minor 
participants in commercial sex acts are victims, the majority of States 
maintain statutes criminalizing minor prostitution, directly 
conflicting, in many instances, with other State laws regarding 
statutory rape and child abuse.
  Acknowledging this conflict, the Texas Supreme Court held in 2010, 
that ``because a 13-year-old child cannot consent to sex as a matter of 
law, the child cannot be prosecuted as a prostitute.'' Further 
illustrating this inconsistency, one Dallas police officer observed 
that ``if a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl and no 
money changed hands, she was likely to get counseling and he was likely 
to get jail time for statutory rape. If the same man left $80 on the 
table after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for 
prostitution and he would go home with a fine as a john.''
  The bill before us today, H.R. 3610, the Stop Exploitation Through 
Trafficking Act of 2014, is designed to encourage the States to treat 
victims as victims.
  Recognizing the need for protection and support for the growing 
number of child victims of commercial sex trafficking, an increasing 
number of States have taken steps to establish so-called ``safe 
harbor'' provisions that either decriminalize minor prostitution or 
divert minor victims to the services and support needed for recovery.
  H.R. 3610 attempts to continue that trend by encouraging States, 
through preferential treatment in the grant-making process, to enact 
safe harbor legislation, ensuring that these victims are treated as 
victims, not criminals, and are directed to support services, not 
detention facilities. The bill also codifies a National Human 
Trafficking Hotline, ensures young victims are eligible for enrollment 
in the Job Corps, requires the Attorney General to report on sex 
offender convictions, and clarifies the authority of the U.S. Marshals 
Service to provide assistance in sex trafficking cases.
  The Judiciary Committee's Crime Subcommittee recently held a hearing 
titled ``Innocence for Sale: Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking'' in which 
we examined the effects of criminalizing minors under these 
circumstances. A victim of minor commercial sex trafficking, Ms. ``T'' 
Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, testified regarding her repeated traumatization 
at the hands of her trafficker and the criminal justice system:

       Isolated, tired, and helpless at the age of 15, the 
     concrete box that represented my cell in the largest of the 
     juvenile facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, seemed no less 
     invasive than the horror of the streets. It wasn't all too 
     different than the mental confinement I endured from my pimp.

  The re-victimization of minors engaged in commercial sex trafficking 
by criminal justice systems must stop. Nelson Mandela once observed 
that:

       There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than 
     the way it treats its children.

  This legislation demonstrates that we choose to protect and support 
our children.
  I would like to recognize the efforts of my colleagues, Mr. Paulsen 
and Ms. Moore, for the introduction of the original legislation, as 
well as the many Members who have signed on as bipartisan cosponsors. 
Additionally, I would like to acknowledge Chairman Kline from the 
Education and the Workforce Committee for his support regarding the Job 
Corps provision of this bill.
  This bill is an important tool in the fight against the growing 
scourge of minor sex trafficking.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.

         Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of 
           Representatives,
                                     Washington, DC, May 13, 2014.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to confirm our mutual 
     understanding with respect to H.R. 3610, the Stop 
     Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2013. Thank you for 
     consulting with the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
     with regard to H.R. 3610 on those matters within the 
     committees jurisdiction.
       In the interest of expediting the House's consideration of 
     H.R. 3610, the Committee on Education and the Workforce will 
     forgo further consideration of this bill. However, I do so 
     only with the understanding this procedural route will not be 
     construed to prejudice my committee's jurisdictional interest 
     and prerogatives on this bill or any other similar 
     legislation and will not be considered as precedent for 
     consideration of matters of jurisdictional interest to my 
     committee in the future.
       I respectfully request your support for the appointment of 
     outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in 
     a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our 
     exchange of letters on this matter in the Committee Report on 
     H.R. 3610 and in the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of this bill on the House floor. Thank you for 
     your attention to these matters.
           Sincerely,
                                                       John Kline,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                     Washington, DC, May 14, 2014.
     Hon. John Kline,
     Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Kline: Thank you for your May 13 letter 
     regarding H.R. 3610, the ``Stop Exploitation Through 
     Trafficking Act of 2013,'' which the Judiciary Committee 
     ordered reported favorably to the House, as amended, on April 
     30, 2014.
       I am most appreciative of your decision to forego 
     consideration of H.R. 3610, as amended, so that it may move 
     expeditiously to the House floor. I acknowledge that although 
     you are waiving formal consideration of the bill, the 
     Committee on Education and the Workforce is in no way waiving 
     its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in the 
     bill. In addition, if a conference is necessary on this 
     legislation, I will support any request that your committee 
     be represented therein.
       Finally, I am pleased to include this letter and your May 
     13 letter in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of H.R. 3610.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bob Goodlatte,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2014 
is another weapon in the bipartisan war against sex trafficking in this 
country.

                              {time}  1530

  I commend my colleagues, Representative Paulsen and Representative 
Moore, for introducing the legislation, which contains important 
victim-based initiatives to combat sex trafficking.
  One of the initiatives, the national safe harbor law, is essential to 
making sure that child victims of sex trafficking are not treated as 
prostitutes and criminalized, but, rather, are diverted into Child 
Protective Services. Only 12 States have passed safe harbor laws for 
minor victims of sex trafficking.
  Now, Madam Speaker, as my colleague has pointed out, there is no such 
thing as a child prostitute. Children cannot consent to any sex act; 
therefore, any sexual act involving a child is child rape.
  As my colleague, again, has pointed out, paying for the sex does not 
diminish the crime. Children who are bought and sold for these services 
are not prostitutes, but are victims. Those adults who sexually exploit 
them should not be called johns, but instead be called what they truly 
are: child rapists. We should punish those who prey on the vulnerable, 
and we cannot continue to criminalize the victims.
  In an effort to help this recovery, H.R. 3610 empowers victims with a 
national hotline to request help, and it empowers them with restitution 
grants and with the eligibility for Job Corps programs.
  The bill leads to an annual report by the Department of Justice on 
the amount of restitution ordered to victims in these cases. It will 
also include information about the number of convictions the Department 
has secured under all statutes that criminalize sex trafficking.
  It will provide important information on the focus of investigative 
and prosecutorial efforts. It will ensure that victims of sex 
trafficking are treated as victims across all geographical and 
jurisdictional boundaries. So, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 
join me in supporting H.R. 3610.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to

[[Page H4511]]

the gentleman from Minnesota, Congressman Paulsen, the chief sponsor of 
this legislation.
  Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for 
yielding and for his leadership as chair of the committee.
  Members, it is really easy and comfortable to think that human 
trafficking or sex trafficking only happens outside of the United 
States. The truth is that it is happening right here, in our own 
communities and right in our own backyards.
  Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to a girl named Dayanna. 
Dayanna tells me the story of how she is the oldest in a family of a 
single mother, with brothers and sisters, and her mother had no 
interest in caring or in giving her or her siblings love and attention.
  So Dayanna is looking for love and attention, and she is seduced by a 
man who promises to treat her and to respect her the way she deserves. 
He even calls himself her boyfriend. At age 13, within days of running 
away, Dayanna finds herself in Philadelphia and in Chicago, being 
trafficked and separated from her family.
  Sadly, this is happening to too many young girls in America, and I 
use the word ``girls'' for a reason. The majority of these victims are 
not old enough to have graduated from high school. They are not old 
enough to have voted in an election. They are not even old enough to 
have passed their drivers' tests because we are talking about 12- and 
13- and 14-year-old girls.
  Those most at risk of victimization are the vulnerable. They are 
lured under the false promise of better lives, and then they are forced 
into prostitution. These girls are victims, and they should be treated 
as victims, so that they come out of the shadows.
  Right now, they fear coming out of the shadows because they view 
their traffickers as the only means of survival or they fear 
retribution. They don't feel they can trust law enforcement because 
most States say they should be incarcerated instead of being treated as 
victims.
  One of the best ways to help these young girls is to remove the fear 
of prosecution and provide an avenue for them to escape and then to get 
the services they need, to get the counseling they need. That is what 
the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act does. It incentivizes 
States to adopt those safe harbor laws that have worked in other 
States.
  This is not only the right thing to do to help these girls, but many 
in law enforcement will also tell you that treating them as victims 
makes them more likely to assist in investigations, resulting in longer 
sentences for the traffickers and the bad guys.
  Now, while there are many issues that divide us here in Washington, 
this is an area in which there is agreement and in which there is 
bipartisan and bicameral work being done.
  I really want to thank my colleague, Gwen Moore from Wisconsin, for 
her work on this legislation. I want to thank Louise Slaughter for her 
work on other legislation.
  In the Senate, I want to thank Senator Klobuchar for helping move 
this legislation forward. I also want to commend all of the Members who 
are working on these five bills that we will be voting on later today.
  Most importantly, I want to thank law enforcement and victims' 
advocates, who have worked with us to share their thoughts and to share 
their expertise.
  This isn't a problem that is going to be solved by one group that is 
working alone. It is going to take all of us working together, learning 
from each other, coordinating efforts, and then coming together as a 
community.
  This legislation, by the way, is endorsed by the National Fraternal 
Order of Police, by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and 
by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to enter into the Record several letters 
of endorsement for this legislation.

                           National Fraternal Order of Police,

                                      Washington, DC, 20 May 2014.
     Hon. Erik Paulsen,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Paulsen: I am writing on behalf of the 
     members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our 
     support for H.R. 3610, the ``Stop Exploitation Through 
     Trafficking Act.''
       The bill, which was favorably reported by the Committee on 
     the Judiciary, would establish a national strategy for 
     combating human trafficking and encourage integration of 
     efforts among local, State, tribal and Federal agencies. The 
     legislation includes the appointment of at least one U.S. 
     Attorney in each district dedicated to this issue, 
     development of new strategies and district-specific plans as 
     well as other efforts to train and educate all levels of law 
     enforcement on human trafficking issues. This coordination 
     and cooperation is essential to fighting this problem.
       The bill also establishes a grant program to create a 
     national hotline for victims of trafficking. The hotline will 
     enable law enforcement officers to direct the victims of 
     these crimes to a knowledgeable and compassionate service 
     provider, as well as a way for victims to get help before 
     coming into contact with law enforcement.
       On behalf of the more than 330,000 members of the Fraternal 
     Order of Police, I want to thank you for your leadership on 
     this issue. We are proud to support this legislation. If I 
     can be of any additional assistance, please do not hesitate 
     to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in my 
     Washington office.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Chuck Canterbury,
     National President.
                                  ____

                                              National Alliance To


                                          End Sexual Violence,

                                Washington, DC, November 25, 2013.
     Hon. Gwen Moore,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Erik Paulsen,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Moore and Congressman Paulsen: The 
     National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) is the voice 
     in Washington for the 56 state and territorial coalitions and 
     1300 rape crisis centers working to end sexual violence and 
     support survivors. NAESV and the state and local programs we 
     work with are committed to advocating for all survivors of 
     sexual violence especially underserved populations and this 
     absolutely includes victims of domestic minor sex 
     trafficking. NAESV commends your efforts as national leaders 
     to craft an augmented federal response to the horrifying 
     reality of the commercial sexual violence committed against 
     our nation's most vulnerable children.
       NAESV supports the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking 
     Act (SETT). While there is no single policy that will end the 
     scourge of domestic minor sex trafficking, the Safe Harbor 
     approach shows great promise in a number of states--pushing 
     conversation and action forward to address the over-
     criminalization of these child victims of sexual violence and 
     the need for specific services and supports for them. We 
     additionally concur that a national strategy is needed to 
     coordinate efforts to investigate and prevent human 
     trafficking.
       Please let us know how we may support your efforts moving 
     forward.
           Sincerely,
                                           Monika Johnson Hostler,
     President.
                                  ____

                                     National Center for Missing &


                                           Exploited Children,

                                   Alexandria, VA, April 29, 2014.
     Hon. Erik Paulsen,
     House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Paulsen: On behalf of the National 
     Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the children we 
     serve, I commend you for your efforts on the substitute 
     amendment to H.R. 3610, the Stop Exploitation Through 
     Trafficking Act of 2014. This amendment addresses several 
     critical aspects of the problem of child sex trafficking in 
     the U.S.
       As the congressionally-designated resource center on child 
     sexual exploitation, NCMEC has learned a great deal about 
     child sex trafficking since our creation in 1984. We know 
     that sex trafficking is not only a problem in other 
     countries, it takes place in nearly every community in the 
     U.S. Our children are being victimized by those who treat 
     them as commodities, and they deserve to be treated as 
     victims not as perpetrators. State laws that provide `Safe 
     Harbor' from prosecution offer these children a path to a 
     life free from sexual exploitation.
       A key component in the fight against trafficking is a 
     federally-funded, trafficking victim-centered hotline which 
     victims and others can call to report incidents and receive 
     information about services available to them. Not only is 
     this an important resource for trafficking victims, it also 
     serves to raise awareness of the problem of child sex 
     trafficking among the public.
       This nation has made significant progress on the issue of 
     domestic child sex trafficking in recent years. This 
     amendment will enhance the current efforts and help child 
     victims become survivors.
       Thank you for your commitment to our nation's children.
           Sincerely,
                                                     John D. Ryan,
                            President and Chief Executive Officer.

  Mr. PAULSEN. Members, this is an opportunity to save lives and to 
give hope to thousands of sex trafficking victims in America. There is 
more work to be done, and in working together, we can put an end to the 
sex trafficking.

[[Page H4512]]

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlelady from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), one of the chief sponsors of the 
legislation.
  Ms. MOORE. I thank the gentleman from Virginia.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3610, the Stop 
Exploitation Through Trafficking Act.
  Before I say anything, I want to thank Congressman Erik Paulsen of 
Minnesota, who has been a tremendous, superb partner throughout the 
process of putting this legislation together. I also want to thank the 
authors of all of the other four bills that are going to be considered 
today.
  This bill really incentivizes States to put safe harbor laws into 
place, and that is the crux of this bill, but I can tell you that 
solving the problem of the sexual exploitation of children is going to 
require a lasting commitment and a bipartisan effort.
  It is going to be very, very, very difficult, colleagues, because, as 
the FBI has told us, this is not just something that happens in 
Nigeria, but it is something that happens right here in the United 
States.
  It is a $9.5 billion annual business activity. There are 100,000 kids 
a year who are currently trafficked, and another 200,000 are at risk. A 
pimp can earn as much as $250,000 a year in this booming business, so 
it is going to take all of us to stop this.
  The victims are mostly girls, and on average, they are trafficked at 
age 13. I am embarrassed and I regret to report that my own hometown of 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has become known as the sex trafficking hub for 
both children and adults.
  As a matter of fact, the FBI reports that Milwaukee is the second 
highest in the Nation for recovered youth; yet trafficking is now 
common in communities all across the country, not just in urban, but in 
suburban, in rural, and from coast to coast.
  Predators victimize vulnerable young people, such as those whom my 
colleague from California, Congresswoman Bass, will talk about in the 
foster care system. They prey upon those who are in poverty, but they 
seek out higher income kids, too, going after those who may have some 
problems at home.
  They are predators against those who are LGBTQ. The victimization 
happens on our streets as well as online. The traffickers are 
everywhere, as are the consequences--social displacement, health 
issues, physical pain and disfigurement, infertility, PTSD, suicidal 
thoughts and attempts.
  Thirteen-year-old children need support and not incarceration. The 
Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act would alter our laws and our 
thinking about this, which is that minors are to be treated like 
victims, rather than as perpetrators of crime. They need direction and 
support for entering programs like the Job Corps, rather than to be 
prosecuted.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlelady an 
additional 1 minute.
  Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, this legislation also officially 
establishes a national human trafficking hotline to help connect 
victims with the services that they need and to allow others to pass 
along crime tips to law enforcement.
  I am so proud that this legislation has been amended to add 
trafficking victims to those eligible to receive Job Corps services, 
giving them access to job skills training that can lead them toward a 
better life, the Job Corps--a port in a very tumultuous storm. I am so 
pleased to cosponsor this legislation, and I would ask that all of my 
colleagues support its passage.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute 
to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the majority leader, and 
to thank him for his leadership on this series of bills that deals with 
this serious issue.
  Mr. CANTOR. I thank the chairman, the gentleman from Virginia.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan 
antihuman trafficking bills being considered by the House today.
  We recently were reminded of the horrors of human trafficking as news 
reports broke from Nigeria that hundreds of school girls had been 
kidnapped with the threat that they would be sold into slavery or 
marriage.
  These innocent young girls were simply trying to pursue an education 
and build a better life. While this problem may seem thousands of miles 
away, this horror is inflicted on millions of families every year, 
including here in the United States.
  The Department of Homeland Security estimates that more than 20 
million men, women, and children are victims of human trafficking 
around the world and that more slaves exist today than at any other 
time in history.
  Many of these victims represent the most vulnerable people on Earth, 
including individuals with mental disabilities and children stolen from 
their homes--taken from their loving moms and dads--with very little 
chance of ever seeing their families again.
  Domestically, our own Department of Justice estimates that as many as 
100,000 to 300,000 American children are in danger of being trafficked 
for commercial sex every year.
  Whether runaways or those kidnapped in our communities, our children 
are at risk of falling victim to determined criminal groups, violent 
gangs, and fear-mongering terror organizations. These children are then 
forced into sex or labor slavery, contributing to the second most 
profitable form of transnational crime.
  An America that leads understands that we must do everything in our 
power to protect the vulnerable populations these groups prey upon. 
Fortunately, the House has an opportunity today to stand together and 
pass these five bipartisan bills under consideration, along with 
others, hopefully, later this year.
  These bills aim to protect and help domestic and international 
victims, to capture their exploiters and to provide additional tools to 
prosecutors. We will do all of this in pursuit of our ultimate goal of 
ending human trafficking both domestically and abroad.
  I want to thank not only Chairman Goodlatte, but Representatives Poe, 
Paulsen, Wagner, Reichert, and Smith, as well as other colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle, for their commitments and efforts to push 
forward in this noble cause. In addition to Chairman Goodlatte, I would 
like to thank Chairmen Royce and Camp for all of their work on the 
issue.
  Madam Speaker, let's pass this important legislation with bipartisan 
strength, and let's show our constituents and the rest of the world 
that America chooses to lead this fight. I urge my colleagues to 
support today's bills.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlelady from California (Ms. Bass).
  Ms. BASS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Stop 
Exploitation Through Trafficking Act. Safe harbor legislation is the 
first step in ensuring that children who are forced into the sex trade 
are treated as victims and not as criminals.
  First, as the lead authors of this bill, I would like to recognize my 
colleagues, Representatives Paulsen and Moore, for their commitment to 
preventing the exploitation of children.
  In 2012, in my town of Los Angeles, 170 girls were arrested and 
detained by probation and were later identified as trafficking victims. 
The average age of trafficked victims was 12 years old. At such a young 
age, these girls have survived immense trauma that no child should ever 
experience. In most cities, a large number of the girls are connected 
to the foster care system.
  We are supposed to be protecting these children. These are children 
we have removed from their homes, but far too often, instead of 
protecting these girls and finding them the right social services in 
order to get off the streets, our society continues to arrest them.
  They should never be charged with a crime, since many are minors and 
cannot legally consent to sex. As has been said, the word 
``prostitute'' should never be used. They are not criminals; they are 
victims.
  Unfortunately, many of their troubles continue as they enter a 
juvenile justice system that often treats them as offenders and does 
not provide them with the resources they need in order to rebuild their 
lives.
  Even after serving their time and turning their lives around, young 
adults routinely leave custody or probation with criminal records, 
preventing them from starting careers.

[[Page H4513]]

                              {time}  1545

  Simply put, the system sets them up for failure. To make matters 
worse, I have been told by leading judges in most States that a child 
must be arrested in order to attain many social services. Even in Los 
Angeles, where we have a model court and a probation department doing 
tremendous work to empower young survivors, we must arrest children 
before they receive intervention services. One can only imagine the 
emotional and psychological trauma that occurs when victims are 
continually told they are responsible for their own abuse. This must 
change.
  The Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act addresses one of the 
most pressing issues facing child victims of trafficking. I look 
forward to working with States to ensure that the safe harbor 
legislation throughout the county is meaningful and that appropriate 
services are provided, even if the child is not ``system-involved.'' I 
also look forward to identifying policies to ensure that the young 
people who have already been arrested have the opportunity to not only 
seal but completely expunge their records.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 
minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).
  Mrs. WAGNER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding me time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3610, the Stop 
Exploitation Through Trafficking Act. Congressman Erik Paulsen authored 
this important legislation in order to encourage States to adopt laws 
that treat trafficked minors as victims, not as criminals.
  Madam Speaker, there is no such thing as a child prostitute. Minor 
participants should be considered victims of these heinous crimes and 
abuse, rather than criminals themselves. They are frequently coerced 
into prostituting themselves through a variety of methods, including 
physical and psychological manipulation.
  Madam Speaker, these children have gone through a nightmare that we 
cannot even imagine. Their suffering should be at an end once they are 
under the protection of law enforcement. However, in many cases, these 
victims are treated as criminals or delinquents, which results in 
further traumatization.
  Madam Speaker, the law should protect child victims of prostitution 
and punish the abusers. The law should define these sexually exploited 
children as victims of abuse and help them find the protection and 
support they need to begin to heal.
  Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 3610 because it encourages States to 
enact safe harbor legislation aimed at ensuring that these children are 
treated as victims, not criminals, and are directed to support 
services, not detention facilities.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman very much.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Stop Exploitation Through 
Trafficking Act, and thank Mr. Paulsen and the cosponsors for this 
legislation. I thank the Judiciary Committee for this historic day--and 
days to come. Because even as we speak on the floor of the House right 
now, there are children that are being trafficked. There are young 
girls who are being abused. There is human slavery.
  I just want to give this example that I think is so much the story of 
what we are speaking of.
  If a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl, and no money 
changes hands, she would likely get counseling and he would likely get 
jail time for statutory rape. But if the same man left $80 on the table 
after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for 
prostitution and he would probably go home. He is something called a 
word that I don't even want to use because he is involved in human 
trafficking, sex trafficking, abuse, and violation of a child that 
cannot give consent.
  In a hearing that we held in Houston, what we determined was when 
those young girls are violated at that age, they are destined, in many 
instances, for a life of prostitution and to be trafficked and held by 
individuals who call themselves pimps, but are literally slaveholders.
  So this is a very important initiative by providing the opportunity 
for the growing safe harbors and to be able to track community-oriented 
police services grants for those States that pass safe harbor statutes 
for victims of minor sex trafficking.
  It is so very important to stamp out the scourge of minor sex 
trafficking and to also improve on the issue of restitution orders in 
order to give these girls back their lives. We listened to Kathryn 
Griffin, who now offers a refuge with a program called We've Been There 
Done That in Houston, Texas, inside the Harris County Jail, to get 
these women to turn their lives around, but wouldn't it be more 
important if we established that these girls now are victims?
  They are being exploited. And we must stop it now. We must make sure 
that we find the safe harbor and also be able to have the restitution 
orders.
  I also join in thanking my colleague for the opportunity with Job 
Corps, so they may turn their lives around. I think this is another 
step in the right direction to stamp out human trafficking, holding 
individuals as slaves and killing off their life and their future.
  Let us rescue these girls, as we want to rescue the girls in Nigeria 
that are being held by the terrorist thugs, Boko Haram.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Olson).
  Mr. OLSON. I thank the chairman. I also thank my friend from 
Minnesota for bringing this important bill to the House floor.
  Madam Speaker, I live in Fort Bend County, Texas. Interstate 10 runs 
through the northern part of Fort Bend County. According to the 
Department of Justice, I-10 in Houston is ``the most intense 
trafficking jurisdiction in America.''
  In March, a sex slave ring was broken up in Houston. Fifteen women 
from Latin America were in a tiny house with 94 men, wearing only their 
underwear when they were arrested. The women's first trip to America 
became a trip to hell.
  And it is not just women from foreign countries. Young American girls 
are being tricked into lives as sex slaves--girls like Holly Smith, 
whose picture is to my left.
  Holly's home life was not good. She worried about starting high 
school. She was depressed. And she met a man at the local mall named 
Greg. Greg knew just what Holly needed. He convinced her to run away. 
So she laced up her size 5 sneakers and jumped in the car with a pimp 
of children. She was just 14. Within hours, she was being raped by a 
man who said that she looked like his granddaughter.
  Holly escaped her captors by telling a police officer that she was a 
hooker so they would take her away from Greg. That admission brought 
her more pain. She was handcuffed and treated like a criminal instead 
of the victim she was.
  I want to thank Holly for telling her story. Sadly, she and I both 
know that her story is being repeated all over America. And that is why 
passing this bill is so important.

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), one of the leaders 
on this issue.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong 
support of Representative Paulsen's important bill, H.R. 3610, which 
should have passed long ago, that encourages States to provide safe 
harbor laws that treat trafficked minors as victims, which they are--
and provides services, support, counseling, and job training, rather 
than leading them into incarceration. It is the pimps and traffickers 
who should be put behind bars.
  This important bill can help rescue more children from this shameful 
and shadowy underworld and lead them out of harm's way.
  When I first started working in this area with the distinguished 
former member, Deborah Price, we were holding a hearing and listening 
to the stories of young women of how they were entrapped, stolen, 
beaten, tricked, and drugged into sex slavery. Deborah leaned over to 
me and said, Carolyn, as a former judge, I used to convict young girls 
as prostitutes. I never stopped to ask them, as we are today, how did 
this happen to you? How did you get into this trouble that is 
destroying your life and your health?

[[Page H4514]]

  And that is what this bill is going to do. It will provide a safe 
harbor so that young people will be treated as young people. A 
trafficker is a criminal, a john is a child abuser, a pimp is someone 
who should be behind bars.
  This starts to shift the focus away from the young, exploited people 
and harming them further with incarceration, protecting them and 
shifting more towards who is causing the problem: the demand side.
  This is a tremendously important bill. We should put more traffickers 
where they belong--behind bars.
  This change is long overdue. I look forward to working towards 
passing this in the House and the Senate.
  I thank the leadership of both Houses, Leaders Pelosi and Cantor, all 
the authors, and everyone who has worked on these important bills.
  I urge a ``yes'' vote.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. It is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 3610, the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act, and I want 
to thank the chairman and all of my colleagues who have worked so hard 
on a bipartisan basis to get the bills to this point.
  Madam Speaker, there is a silent epidemic affecting all of our 
communities across the country that goes unnoticed and unpunished. Sex 
trafficking is one of the most misunderstood yet prevalent crimes 
occurring every day in every State in America.
  According to the Trafficking in Persons Report produced by the State 
Department, 27 million men, women, and children are victims of some 
form of human trafficking. Sadly, it disproportionately affects young 
women between the age of 12 and 14, who fall victim to organized crime 
networks and are trafficked nationally.
  Unfortunately, in my home State of Indiana, we are not immune to this 
problem. Just recently, a man was arrested after being stopped for a 
routine traffic violation in Hancock County. He was found to be 
transporting 12- and 13-year-olds to another community to work off a 
debt that their family owed.
  In Indianapolis, earlier this year, a man was arrested for 
trafficking four victims, including three minors, into prostitution. 
One of them was a 12-year-old with mental disabilities.
  I know of this nationwide problem firsthand because I was a U.S. 
attorney from 2001 to 2007. In 2006, we started a task force called 
IPATH, the Indiana Protection of Abused and Trafficked Humans task 
force. It is still led by Assistant United States Attorney Gayle Helart 
and Indiana Deputy Attorney General Abby Kuzma. It builds upon the 
premise that we have to combat human trafficking by integrating 
Federal, State, local, and nonprofit resources to make sure we do more 
on the enforcement side and help with services for the victims.
  So I am very proud to be a sponsor of this bill, which does combat 
and bring together these holistic strategies.
  In my time as U.S. attorney, what I learned is the hardest part of 
combating human trafficking is identifying the victims and getting them 
to come forward. Victims feel hopeless. And they are scared. It is the 
nature of the trafficker to prey upon their fears and threaten them and 
threaten their families' safety.
  So I am pleased that we are coming together. These statutory changes 
are important. It does provide those safe harbor laws which makes sure 
these minors are victims rather than criminals.
  I am particularly pleased with the human trafficking hotline. We have 
got to educate citizens in our communities to know what they are seeing 
so that they can report these crimes.
  It is unacceptable that a country like ours actually almost harbors 
traffickers who are selling these people into modern-day slavery.
  Our law enforcement and nonprofit organizations are working hard. 
They have come a long way to raise awareness. But Congress needs to act 
decisively today and provide these necessary tools. This bill, and 
others, which I am so pleased have bipartisan support, will do just 
that.
  It is time that we hold these morally-depraved traffickers 
accountable.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, at this time, it is my pleasure to 
yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), a 
member of the committee.
  Mr. HOLDING. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3610, the Stop 
Exploitation Through Trafficking Act. I would like to thank Chairman 
Goodlatte and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen) for their hard 
work and contributions to this important legislation.
  As we have noted today, sex trafficking of minors is a terrible and, 
unfortunately, growing crime. According to the FBI, sex trafficking is 
the fastest-growing business organized crime and the third largest 
criminal enterprise in the world, with as many as 300,000 children at 
risk of being sexual exploited in the United States alone.
  While I strongly support all efforts to stop this crime, especially 
those being considered today, it is also important for Congress to 
focus on the victims of minor sex trafficking. H.R. 3610 goes exactly 
to that.
  Under this legislation, States are incentivized to put in place laws 
to clearly recognize that minors engaged in prostitution are not 
criminals, but, rather, victims who need to be protected from further 
trauma.
  My own State of North Carolina is one of a handful of States that has 
passed similar legislation explicitly recognizing that the children 
involved in prostitution are victims involved is modern-day form of 
slavery. H.R. 3610 is an important step toward ensuring this becomes 
true nationwide.
  The average age for a girl to enter the commercial sex trade is just 
12 to 14 years old, and for boys, it is even younger, just 11 to 13 
years old.
  Contrary to what some might think, human trafficking isn't just 
happening in foreign countries; it is happening right here on U.S. soil 
every day and every hour. That is why Congress needs to do everything 
that it can to protect our children and address this issue.
  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank the majority leader for their 
leadership on this important issue.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, now it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute 
to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).
  Mrs. NOEM. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and our leadership and 
colleagues for helping to move these bills forward. Sex trafficking is 
an issue that I have always known has existed, but it wasn't until I 
learned more about it and realized how often it is happening right here 
in the United States and in our neighborhoods.
  As a mom of two daughters and a 12-year-old son, I am so pleased that 
we are voting on these bills today. We are standing up to this illegal 
industry, and we are showing that Congress will not ignore this 
horrific problem.
  This legislation is going to better support survivors. It gives law 
enforcement officers more tools to go after the criminals who are 
exploiting our children. These bills can make a difference for victims 
who are trying to get back on their feet.
  We need to do all that we can to put an end to human trafficking. The 
bills we have here today are just the beginning. We need to talk to 
parents, teachers, hotel employees, anyone who will listen, so that 
they are aware of what is going on, and we can all work together to 
stop it.
  I urge my colleagues to pass these bills, and I call on the Senate to 
do the same.
  We should not quit. We must continue to fight together to ensure that 
this evil does not triumph.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I have only one speaker remaining, 
myself, if the gentleman is prepared to close.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
the time and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3610.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
  I join the gentleman from Virginia in urging my colleagues to support 
this important legislation.

[[Page H4515]]

  I want to congratulate Congressman Paulsen and Congresswoman Moore 
for their great work on this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Black). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3610, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________