U.S. House OKs human trafficking bills

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined his House colleagues in helping pass three bipartisan anti-trafficking bills that would seek to curb a problem plaguing communities across the country.

H.R. 2200, the Fredrick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act, reauthorizes a fund that prevents human trafficking, protects victims, and prosecutes traffickers.

H.R. 2664, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, establishes a training program for Department of Labor employees to improve their ability to recognize trafficking and respond more effectively when cases are detected.

H.R. 2480, the Empowering Law Enforcement to Fight Sex Trafficking Demand Act, expands eligibility for Department of Justice grants to apply to law enforcement agencies instituting programs to combat trafficking.

“Sex trafficking is a crime that is prevalent in far too many communities in Ohio and across America,” said Latta. “To stop this problem, policies are needed to prevent the vulnerable from being exploited, and law enforcement needs the resources to protect victims and bring traffickers to justice.

“The programs supported by these three bills will empower local, state, and federal authorities to identify when trafficking is occurring, and providing them with the tools to address the problem,” Latta added. “It’s hard to find a crime as heinous and evil as the exploitation of young, vulnerable children, and the House is continuing to take bipartisan action to combat trafficking and bring perpetrators to justice.”

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, Ohio ranks fifth in the nation of the states with the most reported trafficking cases since 2007. In addition to the three bills passed on Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives also recently passed a package of bills to combat trafficking. Read more about those pieces of legislation here.