[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 385 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 385
Supporting the observation of ``National Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Prevention Month'' during the period beginning on January 1, 2018, and
ending on February 1, 2018, to raise awareness of, and opposition to,
human trafficking and modern slavery.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 29, 2018
Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Cornyn, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Markey, Mr. Toomey, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr.
Rubio, and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the observation of ``National Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Prevention Month'' during the period beginning on January 1, 2018, and
ending on February 1, 2018, to raise awareness of, and opposition to,
human trafficking and modern slavery.
Whereas the United States abolished the transatlantic slave trade in 1808 and
abolished chattel slavery and prohibited involuntary servitude in 1865;
Whereas, because the people of the United States remain committed to protecting
individual freedom, there is a national imperative to eliminate human
trafficking and modern slavery, which is commonly considered to mean--
(1) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining
of an individual through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the
purpose of subjecting that individual to involuntary servitude, peonage,
debt bondage, or slavery; or
(2) the inducement of a commercial sex act by force, fraud, or
coercion, or in which the individual induced to perform that act is younger
than 18 years of age;
Whereas the Department of Justice has reported that human trafficking and modern
slavery has been reported and investigated in each of the 50 States and
the District of Columbia;
Whereas, to help businesses in the United States combat child labor and forced
labor in global supply chains, the Department of Labor has identified
139 goods from 75 countries that are made by child labor and forced
labor;
Whereas the Department of State has reported that the top 3 countries of origin
of federally identified trafficking victims in 2016 were the United
States, Mexico, and the Philippines;
Whereas, to combat human trafficking and modern slavery in the United States and
globally, the people of the United States, the Federal Government, and
State and local governments must be--
(1) aware of the realities of human trafficking and modern slavery; and
(2) dedicated to stopping the horrific enterprise of human trafficking
and modern slavery;
Whereas the United States should hold accountable all individuals, groups,
organizations, and countries that support, advance, or commit acts of
human trafficking and modern slavery;
Whereas, through education, the United States must also work to end human
trafficking and modern slavery in all forms in the United States and
around the world;
Whereas victims of human trafficking and modern slavery should receive the
necessary resources and social services to escape, and recover from, the
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma associated with their
victimization;
Whereas human traffickers use many physical and psychological techniques to
control a victim, including--
(1) the use of violence or threats of violence against the victim or
the family of the victim;
(2) isolation of the victim from the public;
(3) isolation of the victim from the family and religious or ethnic
community of the victim;
(4) exploitation of language and cultural barriers;
(5) shame;
(6) control of the possessions of the victim;
(7) confiscation of the passport and other identification documents of
the victim; and
(8) threats of arrest, deportation, or imprisonment if the victim
attempts to reach out for assistance or to escape;
Whereas, although laws to prosecute perpetrators of human trafficking and to
assist and protect victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, such
as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.), title XII of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of
2013 (Public Law 113-4; 127 Stat. 136), the Trade Facilitation and Trade
Enforcement Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.), the Justice for
Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-22; 129 Stat. 227),
and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public
Law 114-328; 130 Stat. 2000), have been enacted in the United States, it
is essential to increase public awareness, particularly amongst
individuals who are most likely to come into contact with victims of
human trafficking and modern slavery, regarding conditions and dynamics
of human trafficking and modern slavery precisely because traffickers
use techniques that are designed to severely limit self-reporting and
evade law enforcement;
Whereas January 1 is the anniversary of the effective date of the Emancipation
Proclamation;
Whereas February 1 is--
(1) the anniversary of the date on which President Abraham Lincoln
signed the joint resolution sending the 13th Amendment to the Constitution
of the United States to the States for ratification to forever declare that
``Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude . . . shall exist within the
United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction''; and
(2) a date that has long been celebrated as ``National Freedom Day'',
as described in section 124 of title 36, United States Code; and
Whereas, under the authority of Congress to enforce the 13th Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States ``by appropriate legislation'',
Congress, through the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), updated the post-Civil War involuntary servitude
and slavery statutes and adopted an approach of victim protection,
vigorous prosecution, and prevention of human trafficking, commonly
known as the ``3P approach'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate supports--
(1) observing ``National Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Prevention Month'' during the period beginning on January 1,
2018, and ending on February 1, 2018, to recognize the vital
role that the people of the United States have in ending human
trafficking and modern slavery;
(2) marking the observation of ``National Trafficking and
Modern Slavery Prevention Month'' with appropriate programs and
activities, culminating in the observance on February 1, 2018,
of ``National Freedom Day'', as described in section 124 of
title 36, United States Code; and
(3) all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and raise
awareness of, and opposition to, human trafficking and modern
slavery.
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