Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain. Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Human trafficking is not limited to distant foreign countries, but currently exists in every state in the United States. Myself, and my colleagues in the House of Representatives have been actively working to raise awareness and address this serious criminal offense that violates human dignity.
My experience on the House Education and the Workforce Committee has allowed me to recognize that employees at the Department of Labor are often on the front line of investigating workforce law violations. That is why I introduced the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act. This bipartisan bill ensures Department of Labor employees have the education they need to identify the signs of human trafficking, assist victims, and properly refer cases to law enforcement so perpetrators can be brought to justice.
I also was a proud cosponsor and voted in support of the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act, which strengthens efforts to recover missing children and support youth who are the victims of violent crimes. This important bill was signed into law by President Trump in October 2018. To build on this vital work, I voted in favor of the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act, which was signed into law in July 2024. This legislation reauthorizes funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and expands its ability to provide referrals for legal and support services for missing and exploited children.
Additionally. I have supported numerous other efforts to curtail human trafficking. Some of those bills include:
- H.R. 4326, Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act, which holds foreign countries accountable when they fail to take serious efforts to address the link between commercial sex and human trafficking.
- H.R. 1865, Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, which was signed into law with my support. This legislation gives law enforcement officials and families the ability to shut down online marketplaces where individuals are trafficked, while instituting stronger penalties on those who knowingly facilitate and enable these crimes to be committed.
- H.R. 3627, Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which establishes a process to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for certain nonviolent criminal offenses committed by victims of human trafficking that directly result from or relate to having been a trafficking victim.
- H.R. 2200, Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes federal anti-human trafficking and victim assistance programs. This legislation was signed into law in May 2017. {Public Law No: 115 – 425}
- H.R. 883, Targeting Child Predators Act, which would require Internet Service Providers to wait 180 days before notifying customers in child predator cases of a law enforcement inquiry. Under current law, the provider may notify the user of the law enforcement inquiry, allowing the alleged child predator to destroy critical evidence. This bill would give law enforcement a limited window of time to properly investigate suspected predators.
- H.R. 1188, Adam Walsh Act, which reauthorizes two primary programs—the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and Sex Offender management Assistance Program—for five years and makes targeted changes to make the system more efficient and just. These programs help prevent child abuse by ensuring the public has access to information on known sex offenders who may live in their neighborhood.
LEGISLATION
1/20/2023 – Sponsor: H.R.443, Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act
9/12/2019 – Cosponsor: H.R.4326, Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act
7/28/2017 – Cosponsor: H.R.1865, Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act {Public Law No: 115-164}
4/06/2017 – Cosponsor: H.R.1808, Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017.
1/24/2017 – Cosponsor: H.R. 695, the Child Protection Improvements Act
NEWS AND VIDEOS
02/14/2024 - Walberg Questions Wage and Hour Division on Human Trafficking
02/08/2024 - Adrian Daily Telegram: U.S. House passes Rep. Tim Walberg's bill to fight human trafficking
01/10/2024 - Walberg's Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act Advanced by Committee
01/23/2023 – Walberg introduces human trafficking legislation
06/20/2021 – Walberg bill would tackle human trafficking
06/18/2021 – Walberg, Kilili lead bipartisan effort to thwart human trafficking
07/13/2017 – WLNS: Walberg anti-human trafficking bill passes House
07/12/2017 – Walberg Champions Bipartisan Bill to Combat Human Trafficking
07/12/2017 – House Passes Walberg’s Bipartisan Bill to Fight Human Trafficking
07/12/2017 – USA Today: House Passes Sweeping Overhaul of Law to Combat Human Trafficking
06/14/2017 – Jackson Cit Pat op-ed: Taking Action to Tackle Human Trafficking
05/23/2017 – Walberg: Strengthen Support for Missing and Exploited Children
02/03/2016 – WLNS: Walberg Introduces Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation
02/03/2016 – Walberg Introduces Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking
TRAFFICKING RESOURCES
National Human Trafficking Hotline:1-888-373-7888 or Text INFO or HELP to BeFREE (233733)
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Polaris Project
U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons