[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 19, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H10217-H10218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NO HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON OUR ROADS ACT
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (S. 1532) to disqualify from operating a commercial motor
vehicle for life an individual who uses a commercial motor vehicle in
committing a felony involving human trafficking.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 1532
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 ``No Human Trafficking on Our
Roads Act''.
SEC. 2. LIFETIME DISQUALIFICATION WITHOUT REINSTATEMENT.
Section 31310(d) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``Controlled Substance
Violations'' and inserting ``Lifetime Disqualification
Without Reinstatement'';
(2) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``(1)
Controlled substance violations.--The Secretary''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Human trafficking violations.--The Secretary shall
disqualify from operating a commercial motor vehicle for life
an individual who uses a commercial motor vehicle in
committing a felony involving an act or practice described in
paragraph (9) of section 103 of the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102(9)).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous material on S. 1532.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, human trafficking is a terrible crime with an estimated
20 million victims worldwide. It is incumbent upon Congress to take the
steps necessary to combat this crime whenever possible.
Just this past summer there was a case in San Antonio in which 10
people died while being illegally trafficked in a commercial motor
vehicle. Drivers have been the first line of defense in helping
identify and report these sorts of activities within the trucking
community. We need these drivers to stay vigilant and we need to weed
out the bad actors.
In addition to the criminal penalties, drivers who knowingly take
part in human trafficking should never again be able to drive
commercially. Current law prohibits an individual from operating a
commercial motor vehicle if they are convicted of one of nine different
crimes, including alcohol abuse, negligent manslaughter, and drug
trafficking.
S. 1532 disqualifies individuals from operating a commercial vehicle
for their lifetime if they ever use that commercial vehicle to commit a
felony involving human trafficking.
This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with unanimous consent, and I
would like to commend Mr. Katko for his leadership on the House version
of this bill, and I would urge my colleagues to support S. 1532.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of S. 1532. This
legislation institutes a lifetime ban from operating a commercial motor
vehicle for any individual who has used such a vehicle to commit human
trafficking.
In the summer of 2017, 10 people died in San Antonio, Texas, in the
process of being illegally trafficked in a truck at Walmart. That
horrendous incident served as a stark reminder that the transportation
sector can be exploited for heinous acts.
[[Page H10218]]
Since 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has received
reports of more than 22,000 sex trafficking cases inside our country.
In addition, it has received over 5,000 reports of individuals who have
been coerced into forced labor or indentured servitude.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that
one of every six runaway children who was reported to them last year
had become victims of sex trafficking.
The FMCSA currently prohibits any individual from operating a CMV for
life if he or she is convicted of committing specific crimes, including
negligent manslaughter and drug trafficking. This bill ensures that the
FMCSA also takes action against perpetrators who use their CMV to
commit ``severe''--and that is the operative word--forms of sex
trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure reported an
identical bill, H.R. 3814, to the House by a voice vote in November.
This legislation takes important steps to reduce human trafficking in
the transportation sector.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in favor of S. 1532, the No Human
Trafficking on Our Roads Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill
strengthens our Nation's efforts to combat human trafficking.
As a former organized crime prosecutor for two decades both on the
Northern border and on the Southern border, I have seen firsthand the
horrors of human trafficking. Too often, human traffickers take
advantage of our Nation's transportation network to transport their
victims from one location to the next.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the transportation industry
play a critical role in preventing and stopping these heinous
exploitations. I want to commend the trucking industry for their
commitment in training drivers to identify instances of human
trafficking through organizations like Truckers Against Trafficking.
Truck drivers are often a critical asset in helping law enforcement
identify victims who otherwise might go unseen. However, an isolated
few individuals have taken advantage of their position to illegally
traffic innocent people. We must stop this from occurring.
Earlier this year, alongside my good friend, Congresswoman Esty, I
introduced H.R. 3814, the identical House companion to this bill. While
the vast majority of our Nation's truck drivers are hardworking, honest
men and women, our bill is necessary to ensure that the select few who
commit these crimes are brought to justice.
I am grateful for the chairman's support in moving our bill through
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and bringing this
important issue before the floor of the House. I would also like to
thank outside organizations, like the National District Attorneys
Association, for supporting this legislation.
Again, I would like to thank Representative Esty and Senators Thune
and Klobuchar for their bipartisan, bicameral leadership in this
matter.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, this is another example of what
bipartisanship can achieve in the House of Representatives, unlike,
sadly, the tax bill that was just passed just before us in the House of
Representatives here this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to
join me in supporting this important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 1532.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________