Support victims of human trafficking by asking Congress to support four vital bills. Federal laws are crucial to establish clear, consistent measures against human trafficking in America. There are currently 4 bills in Congress that need your help to get made into law.

S. 1301 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2011

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, introduced in 2000, greatly increased America’s efforts to protect victims, assist survivors, improve prevention methods and successfully prosecute traffickers. Even though the TVPA has been reauthorized three times by bipartisan majorities, it was allowed to expire in September of 2011. Below are some of the provisions included in S. 1301 that would better protect victims.

• Create programs to help foreign governments investigate labor recruitment centers where trafficking victims may be recruited;
• Encourage the distribution and posting of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline number within federal agencies as well as by states;
• Create programs to assist minor victims of sex trafficking through grant programs to states; and
• Prohibit the provision of peacekeeping operation funds to countries that use child soldiers.

It is of the utmost importance that this bill gets passed to maintain the standards established in 2000.

H.R. 2759 Business Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act

From cotton to chocolate, we buy products that result from the use of child and forced labor without even knowing it. H.R. 2759 requires companies with a minimum of $100 million in income to report the measures they take to address slavery within their business operations to the Securities and Exchange Commission and on their websites.

Although the bill doesn’t require organizations to take action against slavery, it opens the door for competition to improve standards and practices by making the public aware of which companies are taking action to combat slavery – and which ones are not. Rather than subject businesses to confusing and often conflicting state laws, H.R. 2759 would establish clear requirements that would apply equally to companies across the country.

H.R. 2730 Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act.

Shockingly, children as young as twelve have become victims of human trafficking in the United States. Yet, very few law enforcement and child welfare agencies have adequate training and resources to support these children’s unique needs. Below are some of the ways that H.R. 2730 will strengthen the child welfare approach to child trafficking.

• Provide child welfare employees with training and guidance on how to identify, document, educate and counsel children at risk;
• Ensure that victims are placed in homes with sufficient capacity to meet their needs including mental health counseling and security; and
• Improve data collection by adding a “human trafficking” classification to the current child welfare reporting systemH.R. 2730 establishes a strong base for welfare agents and law enforcement to provide the support and care that child trafficking victims need.

H.R. 2982 Human Trafficking Reporting Act

In an effort to better document the crime of human trafficking, the Human Trafficking Reporting Act (HR 2982) requires states receiving federal funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance programs to provide information about arrests and prosecution of the crime. The legislation also amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include severe forms of human trafficking in the definition of Part I “violent crimes,” ensuring that statistics on the crime of human trafficking will be compiled and made available through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report.

What You Can Do:

1. Find Representatives and Senators by typing in your zip code here.
2. Call your Representative and ask them to Co-Sponsor or vote YES on H.R. 2759, and H.R. 2730. Here’s a sample script:

Hi, my name is [   ] and I am a constituent. I am calling to urge my Representative to Co-Sponsor and vote YES on H.R. 2759 and H.R. 2730

3. Call your Senator and ask them to Co-Sponsor or vote YES on S. 1301.

Hi, my name is [   ] and I am a constituent. I am calling to urge my Senator to Co-Sponsor and vote YES on S.1301.

4. Follow up with an e-mail.