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Legislation designed to enhance the federal government’s efforts to combat human trafficking was recently introduced in the Senate.
The National Human Trafficking Database Act, sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), would authorize $50 million each year through fiscal 2028 to advance a human trafficking database at the FBI. The bill also would incentivize state agencies to report data specific to human trafficking. Its sponsors point to a Tennessee-based data program as a prototype for the database.
“We must do all we can to prevent human trafficking. This means making sure that we have the best data and tools available,” said Klobuchar, a senior member of the Commerce Committee on freight policy. “This bipartisan legislation will establish a national database to fill critical information gaps, help streamline collaboration between those fighting to end trafficking and ultimately save lives.”
“Human trafficking prosecutions have skyrocketed in recent years, and the federal government must use every available tool to convict criminals that have not yet been identified in our communities,” added Blackburn, also a member of the Commerce Committee. “The National Human Trafficking Database Act would help combat this heinous crime by incentivizing states to identify the risks of human trafficking in their counties and track the number of prosecutions statewide.”
On Capitol Hill, policymakers repeatedly approve measures designed to combat forms of trafficking. Earlier this year, the House passed legislation that would further train Labor Department staff on ways to recognize and respond to the illegal trade of people.
National Human Trafficking Database Act
“The passage of the bipartisan Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act is a major win in the fight to end the scourge,” said Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Due to the failure of multiple agencies to track unaccompanied minors crossing the open border, more than 85,000 children are lost within our country. This humanitarian crisis is unacceptable and highlights the need for legislation like HR 443, which ensures Department of Labor staff are educated on how to effectively detect human trafficking and establishes clear reporting guidelines.”
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), a co-sponsor, added: “Human traffickers are constantly changing the ways in which they entrap and abuse innocent victims, often hiding in plain sight. This bill will give government employees the proper tools to identify victims and ensure the perpetrators of this horrific crime are brought to justice. I thank my colleagues for their support of this vital legislation and look forward to the Senate taking immediate action to help some of the most vulnerable in our world.”
Stakeholders, such as Truckers Against Trafficking and American Trucking Associations, frequently offer resources that respond to the horrors linked to trafficking. ATA is a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking initiative. The groups promote in-depth training and education, policy development, outreach campaigns and networking forums.
Per background information from DOT, the initiative is “comprised of transportation and travel industry stakeholders working jointly to maximize their collective impact in combating human trafficking. To date, [Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking] has engaged with hundreds of organizations from across the transportation industry.” Nearly 30 million individuals are trafficked into forced labor and prostitution worldwide, according to findings provided by the State Department.