On May 29, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed, by voice vote, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (H.R. 4449).
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY), would amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386) to specify the type and frequency of human trafficking prevention training that State Department personnel would be required to undergo before and during their time abroad.
“Estimates tell us that as many as 27 million people are victims of human trafficking,” Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) stated. “One of the best ways to stop this crime is to ensure that people know it when they see it,” because “people, not policies, are the often first line of defense against modern slavery.”
Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) said, “This bill ensures that US personnel overseas are properly equipped to perceive and combat the scourge of human trafficking. Though current law requires State Department personnel be trained to identify trafficking victims, it does not define minimum training requirements. This bill does that.”
