Press Releases

The House of Representatives today passed the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (S. 178) by a vote of 420 to 3. The bipartisan legislation will better target sex traffickers and support victims of sexual abuse. Earlier this year, the House advanced a number of proposals championed by the Education and the Workforce Committee that would strengthen protections for youth victims of sex trafficking. These proposals are embodied in S. 178, including reforms that will:

• Strengthen support provided specifically to runaway and homeless youth who are victims of trafficking, which was introduced in the Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act of 2015 by Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), along with Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN), committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI).

• Improve practices within state child welfare systems to identify, assess, and document sex trafficking victims, which was introduced in the Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), along with Chairman Kline.   

Chairman Kline praised the passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act:

Congress has responded to a national crisis with new tools to fight a heinous crime that affects millions of innocent individuals each year, including hundreds of thousands of youth. I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for recognizing the seriousness of this crime, reaffirming our commitment to the victims and their families, and sending this critical piece of legislation to the president’s desk.

To learn more about the committee’s efforts to support victims of youth sex trafficking, click here.

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