As the U.S. marks Human Trafficking Awareness Day today, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), along with Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), introduced legislation to help combat the world-wide scourge of international human trafficking.

     “The Human Trafficking Prioritization Act will help keep the fight against human trafficking as a major priority in U.S. foreign policy,” said Smith, Chairman of the House panel on global human rights. “We must stop countries from gaming the system by limiting the amount of time repeat offenders can be on the Watch List before they reach an area of higher concern. It is also imperative that we elevate the TIP ‘office’ to that of ‘bureau,’ sending a strong signal that we as a country know that TIP deserves an equal voice at meetings with the other bureaus and the Secretary of State.”

     Smith’s bill, HR 436, will raise the profile of U.S. anti-trafficking efforts by redesignating the State Department’s current “Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking” (created by Smith’s TVPA) as the “Bureau to Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP),” while keeping steady the total number of staffers. The bill also would require an Assistant Secretary to head the new bureau, in lieu of the current Ambassador-at-Large. The bill will also limit the amount of time countries the State Department keeps on its trafficking watch list before being further demoted to Tier 3. Tier 3 countries face sanctions—including removal of non-humanitarian aid—among other penalties.

     Smith also reconstituted the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, which he originally founded almost a decade ago. The Caucus educates members and their staff on domestic and international anti-human trafficking policy and advocates for appropriate legislation in the House through cutting edge research and the tracking of best practices in the fight to end trafficking. It also coordinates letters and other action to ensure the battle against human trafficking remains a sustained priority for all agencies tasked with implementing human trafficking laws.

     “The U.S. and the international community have made great strides toward the eradication of human trafficking since the passage of the TVPA,” said Smith. “However, continued, educated efforts are undeniably needed to fully overcome human trafficking at home and abroad. The International Labor Organization estimates that more than 20 million adults and children are enslaved at any given time. Of these, an estimated 55 percent of forced labor victims and 98 percent of sex trafficking victims are women and girls.”

     Smith is already working on reauthorization of his landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, which must be completed by September of this year. The original TVPA launched a bold strategy that includes sheltering, political asylum, and other protections for the victims; long jail sentences and asset confiscation for the traffickers; and tough sanctions for governments that failed to meet minimum standards prescribed in the TVPA. The reauthorization will build on this foundation, adapting our trafficking strategy to new research and new ploys by traffickers. 

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