Senate Passes Two Bills to Combat Human Trafficking
September 15, 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today applauded Senate passage, by unanimous consent, of two bills to combat human trafficking in the U.S. transportation sector.
“The Senate’s passage of these bipartisan bills is an important step in the ongoing battle against human trafficking,” said Sen. Thune, the chairman of the Commerce Committee. “These bills create a common sense consequence for egregious wrongdoing and serve as a starting point for better recognition and reporting of human trafficking by commercial drivers.”
“Truckers and commercial drivers are our eyes and ears on the road and often the first line of defense against human trafficking—a crime we’re seeing in our own backyards in Minnesota,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “The passage of these two bills brings us one step closer to this bipartisan legislation being signed into law to ensure truckers and commercial drivers are empowered and equipped to help prevent this heinous crime across the country.”
Last night, the Senate passed the following bills:
- S. 1532, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, to disqualify individuals from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for their lifetime if they used a CMV to commit a felony involving human trafficking.
- S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, designates a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the U.S. Department of Transportation and would increase outreach, education, and reporting efforts at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Both bills were previously approved by the committee. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the ranking member of the Commerce Committee, is among the cosponsors of both bills.
“The Senate’s passage of these bipartisan bills is an important step in the ongoing battle against human trafficking,” said Sen. Thune, the chairman of the Commerce Committee. “These bills create a common sense consequence for egregious wrongdoing and serve as a starting point for better recognition and reporting of human trafficking by commercial drivers.”
“Truckers and commercial drivers are our eyes and ears on the road and often the first line of defense against human trafficking—a crime we’re seeing in our own backyards in Minnesota,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “The passage of these two bills brings us one step closer to this bipartisan legislation being signed into law to ensure truckers and commercial drivers are empowered and equipped to help prevent this heinous crime across the country.”
Last night, the Senate passed the following bills:
- S. 1532, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, to disqualify individuals from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for their lifetime if they used a CMV to commit a felony involving human trafficking.
- S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, designates a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the U.S. Department of Transportation and would increase outreach, education, and reporting efforts at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Both bills were previously approved by the committee. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the ranking member of the Commerce Committee, is among the cosponsors of both bills.
