[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H5443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRAINING SCHOOLS IN SEX TRAFFICKING AWARENESS

  (Mrs. DAVIS of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, many people think of human 
trafficking as a problem that is happening abroad, but what they don't 
realize is that hundreds of thousands of victims are being trafficked 
within our own borders.
  It is hard to imagine such an injustice occurring in your own 
neighborhood. When I learned that my city of San Diego is considered a 
high-intensity region for child trafficking, I knew I needed to take 
action.
  In San Diego, we have an incredible community antitrafficking task 
force. They told me that a gap in the fight against trafficking is in 
our schools. This is why I wrote the Empowering Educators to Prevent 
Trafficking Act. I am proud to see it included in the Frederick 
Douglass Trafficking Victims Protection Act that is before us today.
  My bill will fund programs to train teachers across the country to 
recognize and respond to signs of trafficking so that they can identify 
victims and get them the help they need. Teachers, in turn, can teach 
their students how to protect themselves from becoming victims.
  With this training, our Nation's schools can be an important line of 
defense against this terrible injustice.

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