Klobuchar Statement on New Data Regarding National Human Trafficking Hotline
Press Release
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on data released by the Polaris Project showing that the number of cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline significantly increased in 2016. Klobuchar legislation, which was signed into law in 2015, strengthened the National Human Trafficking Hotline by ensuring that it is backed by the force of law. According to the report, the amount of cases of human trafficking reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline increased by 35 percent in 2016. The amount of survivors reaching out to the Hotline for support increased by 24 percent.
"The National Human Trafficking Hotline is an essential tool for victims and survivors of human trafficking to get the support they need," Klobuchar said. "That more people have been using the hotline to report incidents of trafficking and find assistance will help us in our efforts to put an end to this heinous crime."
Klobuchar is a national leader in the fight to combat human trafficking. Her bipartisan legislation, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, was signed into law in May of 2015. The legislation was modeled after Minnesota's "Safe Harbor" law, which gives incentives for all states to have a safe harbor provision to help ensure minors who are sold for sex aren't prosecuted as defendants, but are instead treated as victims. When a state passes a safe harbor law, it means that kids sold for sex should be steered towards child protection services, rather than being arrested, charged, or convicted under a state's criminal laws. In addition to law enforcement provisions, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act helps victims rebuild their lives by using fines and penalties against perpetrators to improve the availability of victim services. Last March, Klobuchar and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Stop Trafficking on Planes (STOP) Act that would require training for certain airline industry employees to recognize and report suspected human trafficking to law enforcement. A provision based on this legislation was signed into law in July as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016.
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