Rigell, House Advance Bills to Combat Human Trafficking

Press Release

The House passed several important bipartisan bills to further prevent human trafficking, intervene when attempted trafficking occurs, and open up additional resources for victims in recovery. Included in the legislative package was H.R. 5135, the Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act, which Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02) cosponsored.

"We have a moral obligation not only to protect our children and others who may fall victim to human trafficking, but to intervene and help victims recover," said Rep. Rigell, who will host a roundtable discussion on human trafficking this August to learn more from state and local leaders working on the issue directly.

According to the Polaris Project, an organization working to end human trafficking, an estimated 100,000 children in the United States alone are forced into the sex trade each year. The Department of Justice has further estimated the average age when children enter sex trafficking is between 12 and 14 years old.

The comprehensive package of bills that passed in the House provides additional resources for trafficking survivors, offers more tools to apprehend traffickers and those that solicit the services of a trafficked individual, and codifies policies to help lawmakers and law enforcement better prevent trafficking.

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