Congress passes historic legislation to aid trafficking victims

Victims of sex trafficking, such as our girls at Freedom Place, will have more resources than ever to aid in their recovery and healing thanks to legislation passed by the U.S. Congress earlier this week.

The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act will create a designated fund for victims of sex trafficking, impose penalties on individuals who sell advertisements to exploit victims, and give states preference for federal grants if they establish “safe harbor” laws for trafficked children.

Ted Poe, our very own congressman here in Spring, co-authored the legislation.

“In a time of seemingly endless partisan gridlock there is one thing we can all agree on: our children are not for sale,” said Congressman Poe in a statement following passage of the JVTA. “After years of hard work on this issue, Congress has taken a historic and necessary step today to help end modern day slavery in America.  I look forward to President Obama signing JVTA into law so that we can finally help eradicate this scourge.”

It is encouraging to see our political leaders recognizing the importance of this critical issue, and working together to resolve it!