Griffin Votes to Safeguard Children and Fight Human Trafficking

Press Release

Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after the House passed a series of bills to combat human trafficking and provide much-needed services to victims of human trafficking:

"Human trafficking is growing at an alarming rate, and we must be vigilant in our efforts to combat this horrific problem. It is essential that we strengthen current laws to fight human trafficking and better safeguard children as we strive to provide increased support and protection to its victims."

Rep. Griffin is an original cosponsor of H.R. 4058, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improve Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act.

Today's series of bills combat human trafficking by requiring states to provide better reporting on children at risk within the foster care system, providing law enforcement with better tools to address the demand side of trafficking, encouraging states to pass safe harbor laws, criminalizing the advertisement of minors for commercial sex acts and establishing a means to protect children in foreign countries from child-sex offenders traveling abroad.

For more information on these bills, please see the links below:

H.R. 3530 - Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2013 (Sponsored by Rep. Ted Poe / Judiciary Committee)

H.R. 3610 - Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act (Sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen / Judiciary Committee / Education and the Workforce Committee)

H.R. 4225 - Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act (Sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner / Judiciary Committee)

H.R. 4058 - Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Dave Reichert / Ways and Means Committee)

H.R. 4573 - International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith / Foreign Affairs Committee / Judiciary Committee)

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