TO PRESIDENT’S DESK: Senate Passes Senator Hassan, Risch, Rosen, and Rubio’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Prevent Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Human Trafficking Prevention Act that Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced 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). The legislation now goes to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The Human Trafficking Hotline is a lifeline that can help save victims – and by displaying it on every bus, train, and plane, we can get more people the help that they desperately need,” said Senator Hassan. “Our commonsense bill is one critical way to prevent human trafficking, and I look forward to our legislation being signed into law.”

“I applaud Congress for passing the Human Trafficking Prevention Act and taking this step 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 glad to see that our bipartisan bill will now become law.”

“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.

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