Anti-Trafficking, Family Planning Bills Pass House Committee

Trafficking Victims Protection Act

On October 5, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved, by voice vote, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) (H.R. 2830). The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), would reauthorize TVPA (P.L. 106-386) through FY2013.

The measure would allow the State Department to restrict the passports of registered sex offenders and require the Department of Labor to monitor and combat forced or child labor. The bill would provide assistance for vulnerable populations at risk of being trafficked from post-conflict or humanitarian emergencies.

The legislation would take steps to strengthen domestic anti-trafficking efforts by addressing sex tourism, and ensuring that government contractors and subcontractors comply with anti-trafficking laws, among other provisions.

During consideration of the measure, the committee adopted, by voice vote, a substitute amendment by Rep. Smith to strike language requiring the Department of Defense to establish an anti-trafficking office and language to increase the regulation of foreign labor contracting. The committee also adopted en bloc several amendments, by voice vote:

• An amendment by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) to require a one-time report on Internet-facilitated trafficking;
• An amendment by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) to address trafficking in Cambodia;
• An amendment by Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) to encourage businesses to disclose efforts to address all forms of trafficking along their supply chains; and
• An amendment by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) to prohibit peacekeeping assistance to countries that recruit and use child soldiers.

United Nations Population Fund

The committee also approved, 23-17, H.R. 2059, a bill to prohibit funding for the United Nations Population Fund, sponsored by Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC).

During consideration of the bill, the committee rejected:

• An amendment by Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) to permit funding for UNFPA to address obstetric fistula, 12-21;
• An amendment by Rep. Bass to permit funding for UNFPA to provide reproductive and maternal health services in regions affected by natural disasters, 13-21;
• An amendment by Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) to allow funding for UNFPA to provide services to women, unaccompanied minors, and other vulnerable populations in emergency or conflict situations, 13-23;
• An amendment by Rep. Payne to permit funding for UNFPA to carry out activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 14-23;
• An amendment by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) to allow funding for UNFPA to continue providing safe childbirth and emergency obstetric care, 13-22;
• An amendment by Rep. Cicilline to allow funding for UNFPA to prevent female genital mutilation, 13-21;
• An amendment by Rep. William Keating (D-MA) to permit funding for UNFPA to work to end child marriage, 15-20;
• An amendment by Rep. Murphy to permit funding for UNFPA to carry out family planning services to space children, prevent unintended pregnancy, reduce abortion, and sexually-transmitted infections, 14-22;
• An amendment by Rep. Keating to prohibit any funding to UNFPA that the secretary of State determines would support coercive abortions in China, 16-22; and
• An amendment by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) to allow funding for UNFPA to continue working in Haiti, 16-22.