Senators Hassan, Risch, Rosen, and Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Prevent Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation to help prevent human trafficking by requiring the posting of the national human trafficking hotline in the restrooms of all U.S. planes, busses, and trains, as well as airports, bus stations, and rail stations. The companion bill, which the House passed on a bipartisan basis in July, was introduced by Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Darrell Issa (R-CA).

“It is crucial that we take every step possible to stop human trafficking, and one commonsense place to intercede is at transportation hubs by letting victims, or those who notice a potential victim, know who to call for help,” said Senator Hassan. “Our bill is an important effort to address one of the greatest evils in our society, and I will continue working with my colleagues across the aisle to stamp out human trafficking, hold perpetrators accountable, and save victims.”

“Congress must do everything in its power to combat human trafficking. Providing both victims and potential witnesses of human trafficking with the information they need to call for help at transportation hubs will go a long way in preventing this abhorrent crime,” said Senator Risch. “That said, there is still more to be done and I will continue to support anti-trafficking efforts, provide victims with the necessary resources, and ensure traffickers are punished to the fullest extent.”

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that threatens the well-being of women, men, and children across this country and around the world,” said Senator Rosen. “The national human trafficking hotline has been a highly effective tool in helping victims, and I’m helping introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure that it is even more visible in Nevada and nationwide.”

“Human trafficking continues to cause suffering for millions of people, especially young women and girls. We must do everything we can to help the victims. This is a commonsense bill to expose this evil,” said Senator Rubio.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a toll-free service connecting victims and survivors of trafficking to critical support and resources. The Hotline provides both a toll-free phone line and SMS text lines which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish or in more than 200 additional languages through an on-call interpreter.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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