[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2363-H2364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENHANCING DETECTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4307) to direct the Secretary of Labor to train certain
employees of Department of Labor how to effectively detect and assist
law enforcement in preventing human trafficking during the course of
their official duties, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4307
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 ``Enhancing Detection of Human
Trafficking Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
In this Act, the term ``human trafficking'' means any act
or practice described in paragraph (11) of section 103 of the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
SEC. 3. TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL TO IDENTIFY HUMAN
TRAFFICKING.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall implement
a program to provide the training and periodic continuing
education described in subsection (b) to employees of the
Department of Labor whom the Secretary determines should
receive such training or education based on their official
duties. In making such determination with respect to
employees of the Wage and Hour Division, the Secretary shall
consider the training and education needs of such employees
operating in a State with a significant increase in
oppressive child labor (as defined in section 3(l) of the
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(l)).
(b) Training and Continuing Education Described.--The
training and continuing education provided under the program
referred to in subsection (a)--
(1) may be conducted through in-class or virtual learning
capabilities; and
(2) shall include--
(A) training or continuing education that--
(i) is most appropriate for the particular location or
professional environment in which the employees receiving
such training or continuing education perform their official
duties;
(ii) covers topics determined by the Secretary of Labor to
appropriately reflect current trends and best practices for
such location or environment; and
(iii) includes--
(I) the provision of current information on matters related
to the detection of human trafficking to the extent relevant
to the official duties of such employees, and consistent with
privacy laws;
(II) methods for identifying suspected victims of human
trafficking and parties who may be suspected of the
trafficking activity; and
(III) a clear course of action for referring potential
cases of human trafficking to the Department of Justice and
other appropriate authorities, in accordance with best
practices for protecting the rights of victims of human
trafficking, including appropriate collaboration with victim
advocacy organizations, Federal agencies, and State and local
officials; and
(B) an evaluation of the training or continuing education
by such employees after the completion of such training or
education.
SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 1 year after the Secretary of Labor first
implements the program under section 3(a), and each year
thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the
Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report on--
(1) the training and continuing education provided under
the program for the preceding year, including--
(A) an evaluation (including the overall effectiveness) of
such training and continuing education; and
(B) the number of individuals who have completed such
training or continuing education; and
(2) the number of cases related to the detection of human
trafficking, which were referred to the Department of Justice
and other appropriate authorities during the preceding year
by the Department of Labor, and the processes used by the
Department of Labor to accurately measure and track the
response of the Department of Justice and other appropriate
authorities to such cases.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous material on H.R. 4307.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4307, the
Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act. I thank my friend and
colleague, Representative Lucy McBath, for her partnership on this
important legislation.
In my time on the Committee on Education and Workforce, I have come
to the realization that the Department of Labor employees have a
frontline view to detect patterns of human trafficking and labor
exploitation.
This is where my bill, H.R. 4307, comes into play. Specifically, this
legislation directs the Department of Labor to educate appropriate
staff in how to effectively detect instances of human trafficking,
ensure personnel regularly receive information on current trends and
best practices, and establish a clear course of action for referring
suspected instances of human trafficking to law enforcement. In other
words, it turns Department of Labor employees into an early warning
system against human trafficking.
One of the greatest obstacles in the fight against human trafficking
is a
[[Page H2364]]
lack of awareness. Too often, visible signs of human trafficking go
unnoticed or unreported simply because individuals lack proper
training.
{time} 1650
By arming these employees with critical information on how to
identify potential trafficking situations, we can strengthen our
ability to intervene quickly and efficiently to hold traffickers
accountable and protect those who are most vulnerable.
I am proud to say that, last Congress, this legislation passed with
overwhelming bipartisan support, with a vote of 407-0. Protecting more
people from falling victim to the scourge of human trafficking is not
political.
I urge my colleagues to put an end to this modern-day slavery and to
vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4307.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4307, the Enhancing
Detection of Human Trafficking Act.
This bipartisan bill is led by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Walberg) and the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath). It directs the
Secretary of the Department of Labor to develop and implement effective
training to ensure that the Department of Labor enforcement personnel
continue to be educated on identifying and responding to human
trafficking.
It also ensures that Department of Labor employees are aware of how
to refer potential cases of human trafficking to the Department of
Justice and other appropriate authorities.
It requires a new annual report to Congress on the Department of
Labor's trafficking prevention efforts, which will help guide the
committee's future oversight efforts.
The Department of Labor's worker protection agencies play an
essential role in enforcing Federal labor standards, ensuring workers
are paid what they have been promised by their employers, and
protecting health and safety in the workplace. Adequate training
ensures that investigators are equipped to recognize red flags, such as
confiscated identification documents, withheld wages, restricted
movements, threats, coercion, and other indicators of forced labor.
These efforts should be appropriately funded, and the Department of
Labor must continue to play a key role in fighting human trafficking.
Wage and Hour investigators are often on the front lines and may be the
only Federal officials in a position to encounter workers trapped in
exploitative conditions.
Unfortunately, President Trump's fiscal 2026 budget request proposed
cutting funding for the Wage and Hour Division by nearly 10 percent and
reducing staffing by roughly 250 employees for non-H-1B activities.
Over the course of the past decade, the number of Wage and Hour staff
has fallen from a little over 1,400 in fiscal year 2017 to just under
1,200 in fiscal year `25, an 18 percent decline, even as the Wage and
Hour Division has tracked a 150-percent increase in child labor
violations over the same period.
It is critical to follow up this authorization with additional
funding because, without the additional funding, this bill could result
in even fewer resources available for the Department to carry out their
core missions because it imposes additional burdens on agency staff.
Additional funding could allow the Department to continue its core
functions and fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the bill.
No one should be forced to work under threats, abuse, or
intimidation. This legislation recognizes the essential role the
Department of Labor and worker protection agencies play in protecting
vulnerable workers and holding traffickers accountable.
For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
bipartisan proposal, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Guam (Mr. Moylan), a great member of the Education and Workforce
Committee.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the introduction. I
am very happy and pleased to be a cosponsor of this measure.
As we know, human trafficking is modern-day slavery, Mr. Speaker, and
traffickers abuse and exploit millions of victims, especially children,
girls, and women, all for commercial gain. This is a serious problem
around the globe, Mr. Speaker, and even here at home.
We must do more to raise awareness of this crime.
The U.S. Department of Labor is on the front lines of detecting human
trafficking. In 2024, the National Human Trafficking Hotline's data
showed that there were 21,865 victims, and that is only what we know
was reported.
Mr. Speaker, one in six endangered runaways is a likely victim of
child sex trafficking. We have a moral and ethical obligation to
empower Federal agencies to prevent, detect, and address these horrific
crimes.
This bipartisan, commonsense bill raises awareness of human
trafficking and establishes effective and timely educational programs
to train Department of Labor personnel.
This bill establishes a framework for employees to assist law
enforcement, requires reports to Congress on the scope of the issue,
and ensures U.S. DOL personnel have the tools they need to detect
forced labor and sexual exploitation when they investigate labor law
violations.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for this measure
to help address, prevent, and crack down on this terrible practice.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan has the only
time remaining. The gentleman from Virginia has yielded his time back.
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation and the policies it supports have been
important to me for quite some time. That is because behind every
statistic is a name, a face, and a heartbroken family.
Human trafficking doesn't just rob these individuals of their
dignity. It robs them of their future.
Department of Labor personnel already interact with workplaces,
review labor conditions, and identify irregularities. H.R. 4307 ensures
that when red flags appear, they are recognized for what they are and
are acted upon swiftly and responsibly.
The earlier they can intervene, the greater the chance we have to
stop exploitation before it becomes prolonged abuse. That proactive
approach is both compassionate and common sense.
This approach also utilizes resources and tools already in place. It
supports law enforcement without expanding government unnecessarily. It
honors taxpayers by making better use of the workforce we already have.
H.R. 4307 better arms DOL employees to disrupt criminal enterprises
and uphold justice, but most importantly, it helps bring victims back
home to safety.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4307, 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.
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