WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement after the president signed into law two bipartisan Commerce Committee bills to combat the use of commercial vehicles in human trafficking.

“Now that the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act and the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act have been signed into law, they will aid in the ongoing battle against human trafficking,” said Thune.

S. 1532, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law today, disqualifies 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, which was signed into law on January 3 focuses on the prevention of human trafficking. The bill would designate a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the U.S. Department of Transportation and increase outreach, education, and reporting efforts at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Sen. Thune is the lead sponsor of S. 1532 and Sen. Klobuchar is the lead sponsor of S. 1536. Both are original cosponsors of each other’s bill and the Commerce Committee’s ranking member, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is also an original cosponsor of both bills.