[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4484-H4489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PUT TRAFFICKING VICTIMS FIRST ACT OF 2017
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2473) to ensure compliance with the Justice for Victims of
Trafficking Act of 2015, to make strides toward eradicating human
trafficking, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2473
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 ``Put Trafficking Victims
First Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON SAFE HARBOR LAWS.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the
Office for Victims of Crime, shall issue a report to be
posted on a publicly available website that includes--
(1) the impact of State safe harbor laws and associated
services on the re-victimization of victims of trafficking
(as such term is defined in section 103(15) of the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7102(15))), the recovery of victims, victim outcomes, and
prosecutions of traffickers; and
(2) best practices and recommendations on the development
and implementation of effective State safe harbor laws that
promote full recovery of victims of trafficking and do not
interfere with prosecutions of traffickers.
SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR PROSECUTIONS OF TRAFFICKERS AND SUPPORT
FOR STATE SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.
(a) In General.--Section 107(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7105(b)(2)(B)(ii)) is amended to read as follows:
[[Page H4485]]
``(ii) 5 percent for training and technical assistance, to
be provided in coordination with the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, including with respect to--
``(I) increasing capacity and expertise on security for and
protection of service providers from intimidation or
retaliation for their activities;
``(II) ``investigating, prosecuting, and preventing human
trafficking through a trauma-informed and victim-centered
approach that provides services and protections for victims
of trafficking;
``(III) facilitating the provision of evidence-based,
trauma-informed care and mental health services to victims of
trafficking;
``(IV) ensuring that all victims of trafficking, including
United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, and
foreign nationals, are eligible for services;
``(V) ensuring that law enforcement officers and
prosecutors make every attempt to determine whether an
individual's participation in human trafficking is free from
force, fraud, or coercion of any means before arresting them
for, or charging them with, an offense;
``(VI) effectively prosecuting traffickers and individuals
who patronize or solicit children for sex, and facilitating
access for child victims of trafficking to the same type of
court procedures and legal protections accessible to child
victims of sexual assault, rape, child sexual abuse, or
incest, and clarifying the right of child victims of
trafficking to not be treated as criminals as a result of
their victimization; and
``(VII) encouraging States to identify the locations of
victims of trafficking and serve those victims, including
through efforts that utilize internet outreach, through
methods informed by survivors of human trafficking, and by
offering help and services that are responsive to victims'
needs in their communities.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on October 1, 2017.
SEC. 4. WORKING TO DEVELOP METHODOLOGIES TO ASSESS PREVALENCE
OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
(a) Working Group.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National
Institute of Justice, in consultation with the Director of
the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center, shall establish
an expert working group, which shall include survivors of
human trafficking, experts on sex and labor trafficking,
representatives from organizations collecting data on human
trafficking, and law enforcement officers. The working group
shall, utilizing, to the extent practicable, existing efforts
of agencies, task forces, States, cities, research
institutions, and organizations--
(A) identify the methodological and practical barriers
hampering data collection on sex and labor trafficking;
(B) identify the information that should be collected, and
how that information should be collected; and
(C) recommend practices that could be standardized as
replicable best practices to promote better data comparison,
aggregation, and analysis.
(2) Pilot testing.--Not later than 3 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National
Institute of Justice shall implement a series of pilot
studies to test promising methodologies studied under
paragraph (1).
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National
Institute of Justice, in consultation with the Secretary of
Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of the Human
Smuggling and Trafficking Center, shall submit to Congress a
report, which includes--
(A) the efforts made in developing robust, comprehensive
methodologies to estimate the prevalence of human trafficking
at the national and regional levels;
(B) best practices for determining the trends of human
trafficking in the United States;
(C) evaluations of the effectiveness of current policies
and procedures to address the needs of victims of
trafficking, including appropriate housing and services from
trained trauma-informed care service providers; and
(D) an analysis of the varying characteristics of victims
of trafficking in different regions, including age, gender,
race or ethnicity, involvement in the child welfare system,
involvement in the juvenile or criminal justice system, the
number of foster care placements, the number of congregate
care placements, and whether an individual is a victim of sex
trafficking or labor trafficking, and recommendations for how
to address the unique vulnerabilities of different victims.
(2) Availability of report.--The report required under
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website
of the Department of Justice.
(3) Input from relevant parties.--In developing the report
under paragraph (1), the Director shall seek input from the
United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, victims
of trafficking, human trafficking survivor advocates, service
providers for victims of sex and labor trafficking, and the
President's Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking.
(c) Survey.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute
of Justice, in coordination with Federal, State, local, and
tribal governments, and private organizations, including
victim service providers and expert researchers, shall
develop and execute a survey of survivors seeking and
receiving services through a model agreed upon by service
providers for victims of trafficking, government entities,
and research experts to better understand where and how
victims of trafficking are accessing services, how they are
referred to services, including referrals by first
responders, how assessment tools work to identify victims of
trafficking, and to help estimate the prevalence of human
trafficking and victim identification in the United States.
Survey results shall be made publicly available on the
website of the Department of Justice.
(d) No Additional Funds.--No additional funds are
authorized to carry out this section.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON PROSECUTORS SEEKING MANDATORY RESTITUTION
IN TRAFFICKING CASES.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Attorney General, in consultation with the
Administrative Office of the United States Courts, shall
submit to Congress a report on efforts to increase mandatory
restitution orders and use of asset forfeiture to provide
restitution to victims of trafficking that shall be posted on
a publicly available website, which shall include the
following:
(1) Information on the Department of Justice's training
programs on mandatory restitution and the use of asset
forfeiture to provide restitution to victims of trafficking,
and recommendations of necessary additional training to
ensure mandatory restitution is ordered in all relevant human
trafficking cases.
(2) An assessment of obstacles that continue to prevent
Federal prosecutors and Federal courts from ordering
restitution.
(3) An assessment of whether the asset forfeiture
provisions in the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of
2015 and the amendments made by that Act have helped increase
requests to transfer forfeited proceeds for restitution,
including how many requests have been made and how many of
those requests have been approved, and whether United States
Attorneys offices are properly informed about requesting
transfers.
(4) An assessment of how establishing trauma-informed,
victim-centered investigative and prosecutorial procedures
can help improve mandatory restitution orders, including by
encouraging victims of trafficking to cooperate in criminal
cases, equipping victims of trafficking with proper
assistance during criminal proceedings, and helping victims
of trafficking secure mandatory restitution.
(5) The annual number and percentage of Federal cases
related to human trafficking, separating sex trafficking and
labor trafficking, during the period beginning on June 1,
2015, and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act, in
which restitution was ordered, and the amount of restitution
ordered in each case.
(6) Data on the participation and non-participation of
victims of trafficking in criminal proceedings, data on the
participation and nonparticipation of victims of trafficking
in witness protection programs and services, and
recommendations for encouraging the participation of victims
of trafficking in such proceedings.
SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS ENCOURAGING STATES TO ADOPT
PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.
Congress recognizes and applauds the State legislative
bodies that have taken tremendous steps to adopt protections
and services for victims of trafficking. Congress encourages
States to do the following:
(1) Uphold the basic rights and dignity of human
trafficking survivors.
(2) Adopt a survivor-centered approach to addressing human
trafficking that ensures the safety, confidentiality, and
well-being of victims of trafficking, while recognizing
symptoms of trauma and coping mechanisms that may impact
victims' interactions with law enforcement, the justice
system, and service providers.
(3) Implement screening mechanisms for all children
entering child welfare services, the juvenile justice system,
or the criminal justice system to identify child victims of
trafficking and connect them with appropriate services,
including appropriate housing and services from trained
trauma-informed care service providers, and to try to
identify foreign nationals who may be victims of trafficking.
(4) Ensure that child victims of trafficking are provided
with a range of protections, including access to child
welfare services, trauma-informed programming, and the same
legal rights afforded to other children who experience sexual
abuse, rape, or incest, including ensuring that--
(A) criminals who exploit child victims of sex trafficking,
including offenders who purchase, solicit, or obtain a child
for purposes of engaging in a commercial sex act, face
serious penalties and sentences under sex trafficking laws,
and are not given lesser sentences; and
(B) child victims of trafficking are never referred to as
``child prostitutes'' or ``underage sex workers'' in law or
official documents and proceedings.
(5) Develop a 24-hour emergency response plan to provide
victims trafficking with immediate protection and support
when they are first identified, which may include physically
moving victims of trafficking to a place of safety, attending
to the immediate
[[Page H4486]]
medical and emotional needs of survivors, assessing whether
survivors are under risk for harm, retaliation, or
intimidation, and directly connecting survivors with victim
advocates, housing, and service providers.
(6) Adopt protections for victims of trafficking that
include the right--
(A) to be treated as a victim of crime and afforded
justice, respect, and dignity;
(B) to protection if the victim's safety is at risk or if
there is danger of harm, retaliation, or recapture by the
trafficker;
(C) to comprehensive trauma-informed, long-term, culturally
competent care and healing services oriented toward
emotional, psychological, and family healing;
(D) to evidence-based screening and assessment tools,
treatment plans, and therapy to address traumatic stress and
associated mental health symptoms;
(E) to safe and effective emergency and long-term housing;
education, vocational, and job assistance and training;
mentoring programs; language assistance; drug and substance
abuse services; and legal services;
(F) for child sex trafficking victims to be treated as
children in need of child protective services and to be
served through the child welfare system, where appropriate,
in place of the juvenile justice system;
(G) for all victims of trafficking, including United States
citizens, lawful permanent residents, and foreign nationals,
to be eligible for services;
(H) to have convictions and adjudications related to
prostitution and nonviolent offenses vacated and such records
cleared and expunged if offenses were committed as a direct
result of the victim being trafficked, and protection for
foreign nationals from being removed, being determined to be
inadmissible, or losing any immigration benefit because of
such conviction or arrests;
(I) to the same type of court procedures and legal
protections accessible to victims of sexual assault, rape,
child sexual abuse, or incest, including the right to not be
treated as a criminal; and
(J) to retain all rights regardless of whether the crime
has been reported to law enforcement.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson
Lee) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 2473, currently under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2473, the Put Trafficking
Victims First Act of 2017, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Human trafficking has plagued communities and neighborhoods across
America. Victims have endured horrific trauma, violence, and
reoccurring abuse. As a result, there is a tremendous need for expanded
victim services, improved data on the prevalence and trends of human
trafficking, and effective mechanisms to identify and rescue
trafficking victims.
H.R. 2473 takes reasonable steps to increase victim services while
improving upon the tools already available to combat human trafficking.
The bill directs the Attorney General to provide a report on the
effectiveness of State safe harbor laws to ensure these laws are based
upon a survivor-centered approach.
In addition to the report, the bill instructs States to recognize
coping mechanisms and the symptoms of trauma as local law enforcement
interacts with victims of human trafficking.
Furthermore, the legislation provides for increased training and
technical assistance for State and Federal agencies, prosecutors, and
law enforcement on how to take a victim-centered approach to preventing
human trafficking. This provision promotes evidence-based training in
order to improve the physical and mental health services provided to
victims.
The bill's focus on supporting victims continues as H.R. 2473
instructs the National Institute of Justice to establish detailed
methodologies to review the modern trends and detail the prevalence of
human trafficking throughout the United States. The survey will not
only assess how victims of trafficking are accessing services, but, in
addition, help estimate the prevalence of human trafficking in the
United States.
Moreover, H.R. 2473 will provide assistance to trafficking victims
seeking restitution, many of whom still face many obstacles in Federal
court. The bill directs the Attorney General to report on efforts to
increase mandatory restitution for victims by providing Congress with
data involving the number of Federal cases related to human trafficking
in which restitution was ordered, as well as the participation rate of
victims in trafficking criminal proceedings.
Finally, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that States should
implement trauma-informed, victim-centered care for all trafficking
victims.
Mr. Speaker, Congress' intent is clear: Protecting victims from the
heinous crime of human trafficking is of utmost concern. I commend the
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for introducing this important
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Committee on Education
and the Workforce,
Washington, DC, May 23, 2017.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to confirm our mutual
understanding with respect to H.R. 2473, Put Trafficking
Victims First Act of 2017. Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Education and the Workforce with regard to H.R.
2473 on those matters within my committee's jurisdiction and
agreeing to make improvements to the legislation to address
concerns.
The Committee on Education and the Workforce will not delay
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
and in the Congressional Record during consideration of this
bill on the House Floor. Thank you for your attention to
these matters.
Sincerely,
Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, May 23, 2017.
Hon. Virginia Foxx,
Chair, Committee on Education & the Workforce, Washington,
DC.
Dear Chairwoman Foxx: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on the Judiciary and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 2473, the ``Enforcing Justice
for Victims of Trafficking Act,'' so that the bill may
proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee or rejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on
this bill or similar legislation in the future. I would
support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate
number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate
conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 2473 in the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2473, the Put
Trafficking Victims First Act of 2017.
I congratulate the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) and the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass) for the introduction of this
legislation.
This bill is intended to improve the implementation of the Justice
for Victims Trafficking Act of 2015. The 2015 act expanded the Federal
response to trafficking concerning services and benefits for victims,
criminal justice, domestic sex trafficking of children, and interagency
coordination and training.
I support H.R. 2473 for several reasons. To begin with, this measure
will strengthen the effectiveness of the 2015 act in various ways. For
example, H.R. 2473 requires that training be provided for prosecutions
of traffickers. When children fall prey to the sex trade and
[[Page H4487]]
then are treated as criminals rather than victims, their injuries are
compounded.
We had the first human trafficking hearing of any committee in
Houston, Texas, just a few years ago under the auspices of the Homeland
Security Committee. Our committee determined this very point: that
children fall prey and then become victims of the criminal justice
system.
That is not the way to deal with our children who are victims,
innocent children who have been turned into human traffic products by
the heinous traffickers. As such, this training is critical to ensure
that human trafficking victims are treated as victims and afforded
justice, respect, and dignity.
Second, H.R. 2473 establishes a working group to develop best
practices or best methods to assess the prevalence of human
trafficking. We know that there is a growing epidemic of abhorrent
practices of sex trafficking, and we must consider all methods to help
law enforcement stop these crimes.
The working group will identify barriers that hamper human
trafficking data collection and identify what information should be
collected, as well as ascertain current practices being used by
different agencies and organizations that can be standardized into best
practices. As a result, H.R. 2473 will help ensure the most effective
prevention practices are standardized so that perpetrators of sex
trafficking are ultimately brought to justice.
Lastly, the legislation encourages States to adopt protections for
sex trafficking victims. These victims are often very afraid to seek
help, particularly from law enforcement because of the risk that they
will be treated as criminals again rather than victims. H.R. 2473
recognizes the critical fact that children involved in sex trafficking
are victims and not criminals. They absolutely should not be treated as
criminals.
In acknowledgement of this fact, the bill identifies a broad range of
important initiatives that States should undertake that would provide
meaningful assistance to these victims: upholding basic rights,
facilitating ways to identify child trafficking, providing emergency
long-term housing. Each of these initiatives should help ensure that
these victims are not revictimized and help enable them to be guided
back to a normalized life.
Mr. Speaker, for all of these reasons, I am pleased to support this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), the chief sponsor of this
legislation.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Goodlatte) for his leadership on this area of human trafficking, along
with the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), my good friend, for
all of her support on this human trafficking issue.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present the Put Trafficking Victims
First Act to the House of Representatives. I am thrilled to have the
opportunity to address the concerns of victims of human trafficking
across our country.
Too often, victims of trafficking are overlooked and underserved.
This must stop. America needs to afford trafficking victims the same
justice, protections, and dignity that other victims of crime receive.
In my home State of Missouri, I have met with countless survivors,
along with survivors across this country, and I have listened to their
painful stories. They need help to rebuild their lives, and that is
exactly what my bill will do.
{time} 1730
One important place to start is in the courtroom, where we need
victim-centered practices oriented toward justice and recovery. For
example, victims technically have access to mandatory restitution in
Federal courts, but the sad reality is that, according to one estimate,
sex trafficking victims get restitution in only 14 percent of Federal
sex trafficking cases. This, Mr. Speaker, is unacceptable. My bill will
direct the Attorney General to make mandatory restitution mandatory and
implement victim-friendly procedures in Federal criminal cases.
Another big problem is that we just don't have good data on how to
identify and rescue victims and put them on a path toward success. We
don't really know where to find victims, what portions may be coming
from foster care, or what their age, ethnicity, or other
characteristics are. We can't help them if we can't find them. So we
desperately need good data and reporting in order to improve victim
outreach.
To answer this need, my bill establishes a national working group to
develop robust methodologies to determine the prevalence and trends of
tracking and evaluating how to best identify victims and address their
needs. My bill will establish a national survey of survivors so we can
better understand how victims are accessing help.
Yet another problem is that we are failing to provide trauma-informed
care to victims, care that would help victims recover and cooperate
with criminal investigations so we can put pimps and buyers behind
bars. Lack of help for victims in the justice system can lead to
revictimization, or even result in victims being criminalized for
offenses they were forced to commit.
That is why we will train agencies, law enforcement, and prosecutors
across the country to implement victim-centered approaches to
investigating and preventing trafficking. We encourage law enforcement
and prosecutors to make every attempt to determine whether an
individual's participation in trafficking is, in fact, free from fraud,
force, or coercion before arresting or charging them.
Finally, victims of trafficking are mostly served at the State level,
so it is critical that States improve how they respond to victims. My
bill encourages States to improve outreach, screen children entering
child welfare services and the justice system, screen foreign nationals
who may be labor trafficked, create safe harbor laws, and develop
emergency response plans.
Mr. Speaker, together we can get victims of trafficking out of
dangerous and abusive situations and create better, more accessible
trauma-informed services. I urge my colleagues to put trafficking
victims first and to support this legislation.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the original cosponsor of this
legislation and one of the champions of protecting children and a
leader of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.
Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2473, the Put
Trafficking Victims First Act of 2017. I thank Ranking Member Jackson
Lee, Chairman Goodlatte, and also Representative Ann Wagner of Missouri
for her leadership in combating trafficking in America. The importance
of a bipartisan approach cannot be overstated or diminished.
Over the years, we have made tremendous progress, but the work is far
from over. The Put Trafficking Victims First Act is a great first step
forward in addressing the perilous deficiencies in sex trafficking
policies and services in America.
As an original cosponsor of this bill, I am grateful for the
inclusion of my amendments that serve to further support and strengthen
this important legislation by providing necessary language and focus on
young victims in the child welfare system.
In drafting legislation that calls for data collection assessments to
help identify and implement effective and responsive models of justice
and relief services, we must always be cognizant of the need to draw
awareness and find solutions to eradicate the devastating epidemic of
young children who are in the U.S. child welfare system from becoming
victims of sex trafficking.
In particular, it is imperative that we better identify and screen
the characteristics of children and youth involved in the child welfare
and justice systems and that we provide greater access to appropriate
housing and services from trained trauma-informed care service
providers. Far too often, we hear stories about victims who cannot
access housing, shelter, or mental healthcare and are unable to expunge
or seal their criminal records and are treated like criminals rather
than victims.
As the cofounder of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I am
[[Page H4488]]
particularly concerned about what we are doing to combat the
devastating epidemic of young girls in the foster care system falling
prey to child exploitation and sex trafficking. I hear horrific stories
of foster girls who have been trafficked far too often, and I hear that
the average age of a girl being involved in trafficking is 12 years
old.
Mr. Speaker, this week we have over 100 youth here from 98 different
congressional districts who will be shadowing their Members of Congress
tomorrow. We met with the youth yesterday, and a number of them stepped
forward and talked about being involved in the trafficking system and
how they fell through the cracks in child welfare.
It is important that we remember that the purpose of the child
welfare system is to protect children who are abused or neglected. When
we take custody of these children, then we--meaning the local, State,
or Federal Government--in effect become their parents. So if your own
child showed up missing and you don't do anything about it, then
obviously you are considered responsible. This is exactly what is
happening with child sex trafficking in the United States.
H.R. 2473 further encourages States to implement screening mechanisms
for all children entering the child welfare system and criminal and
juvenile justice systems to better identify child trafficking and
connect them with appropriate services. I urge my colleagues to vote
for H.R. 2473.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), a member of the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Goodlatte for the
time and also his work on this issue of human sex trafficking in the
United States. I support this legislation.
I also compliment Congresswoman Wagner, Congresswoman Bass,
Congresswoman Maloney, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and other
women. I mention that because when we presented the Justice for Victims
of Trafficking Act 2 years ago and worked on that massive legislation
that is excellent legislation, I am convinced that it was the women in
the United States House of Representatives who got it done. They made
sure that this legislation passed, and then they trotted down the
hallway to the Senate and--I will use the word--``encouraged'' our
Senators to take the bill up, and it passed there, and President Obama
did sign the legislation. I am convinced there is nothing more powerful
than a woman who has made up her mind, and the women in this House made
up their mind about human sex trafficking. I just wanted to point that
out.
This legislation is important. There are many stories. I am going to
talk about a 9-year-old girl who lived not far from where we are today
here in the United States Capitol. When Ashley's mother died, she was
left alone. Like any lost and lonely child, she sought the comfort that
she needed of love and safety. A woman came in to Ashley's life,
offering her the care that Ashley was looking for as a 9-year-old:
comfort and love. Ashley felt like she was safe for the first time
since she had lost her mother. She was an orphan in Washington, D.C.
Little did she know that the woman who was being nice to her was faking
it all because she was grooming Ashley to be a sex slave here in
Washington.
You see, traffickers exploit the vulnerabilities of victims,
destroying their self-worth and their hope for a better life. In some
cases, traffickers steal the soul of young children. They have no hope
and they have no self-worth.
That happened to Ashley, this 9-year-old girl. She was trafficked on
the streets of Washington, D.C., and online for 5 years. At 16, a peace
officer here in Washington, D.C., arrested her for prostitution. She
was brought before a judge, and the judge recognized that she was not a
criminal, she was not guilty of prostitution. Children cannot commit
the crime of prostitution. He recognized her plight and he ordered her
into a treatment program to help her recover from being a trafficking
victim. It is my opinion that that judge saved Ashley's life.
As was mentioned here on the House floor by Congresswoman Bass, the
average age of a trafficking victim here in the United States of
America is between 12 and 13. That means some girls are younger, like
Ashley. She was 9. What a statistic. And, yes, it is mostly young minor
females. Boys are trafficked. Adult females are trafficked as well, but
the scourge is the biggest when it is our children.
Like the laws of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, they
have increased judge and prosecutor training, giving them tools to deal
with the scourge of human trafficking. It is nothing more than modern
sex slavery. That is what human trafficking is.
Congresswoman Wagner's Put Trafficking Victims First Act continues to
improve the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and improve the
process by encouraging more training and a focus on victim-centered
approaches in the courtroom. I was a judge for 22 years in Houston. We
had none of this legislation to help rescue and restore victims of
trafficking, and now we do.
We should remember that in our country we treat trafficking victims,
like Ashley, like victims and make survivors out of them. Gone are the
days that we are going to treat them like criminals. They are not
criminals. They are victims of crime. We must stop the sale of children
on the marketplace of sex slavery. This legislation helps do that.
Victims like Ashley deserve treatment and care, and I support the work
that has been done in the Put Trafficking Victims First Act, and I
support the fact that it will help victims.
As co-chair of the Victims' Rights Caucus, along with the gentleman
from California (Mr. Costa), we understand the importance of victims
and we understand the importance of this legislation. No more, Mr.
Speaker. Not in our city, not in our States, and not in our country.
And that is just the way it is.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time
to close.
What an appropriate time so that I can add my appreciation to the
chairman and the ranking member, Mr. Conyers, the ranking member of the
subcommittee that I am on, and to the chairman of the subcommittee. We
have enjoyed working together on this legislation. To the cosponsors of
this legislation, Mrs. Wagner and Ms. Bass. And then to the potent
statement of my friend and fellow Texan, Congressman Ted Poe, who
modestly indicated that we, as women, helped drive this, frankly, he
beat us to the finish line riding his horse, but I want to thank him
very much for his great leadership and interest in this very important
area.
{time} 1745
This bill is a wonderful complement to the igniting of understanding
about the vileness of human trafficking.
I think it is important to take note that the Homeland Security
Department has trained airline stewards to recognize human trafficking
victims on airplanes. Many of them are children, camouflaged as an
adult and their special child--niece or nephew--traveling together.
This legislation is all about pointing out, finding, saving the
victims, making sure they get treatment, and making sure that human
trafficking is identified.
So I am also pleased that this measure, as amended, requires a report
on State safe harbor laws. As we all know, safe harbors play a critical
role in preventing youth, forced into the sex trade, from being
revictimized again and stigmatized a second time by the criminal
justice system, almost similar to the little girl who was looking for
love. Instead, she got victimized and turned into a human trafficking
product.
H.R. 2473 also fosters better collaboration among the Federal, State,
and local law enforcement in the fight against sex trafficking and
encourages States to adopt protections for trafficking victims by
providing rehabilitation and recovery services for victims of human
trafficking.
Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support this measure and, as
well, to be reminded of all those children who will be helped and
saved.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this fine
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H4489]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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. 2473, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to direct
the Attorney General to study issues relating to human trafficking, and
for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________