Klobuchar, Cornyn Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Sex Trafficking and Support Victims Passes Senate, Heads to Final Passage in House

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced today that bipartisan legislation to crack down on sex trafficking and support victims has passed the Senate and heads to final passage in the House. The legislation includes Klobuchar's provision modeled after Minnesota's "Safe Harbor" law that helps make sure minors sold for sex aren't prosecuted as defendants, but are instead treated as victims. The broader anti-sex trafficking package was based on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act -- introduced by Cornyn and cosponsored by Klobuchar -- which would help law enforcement to further crack down on human traffickers, while bringing about greater restitution and justice for victims.

"This bipartisan package represents a major milestone in our fight to crack down on sex trafficking," Klobuchar said. "The compromise agreement we reached was weeks in the making and reflects a bipartisan commitment to standing up for victims of trafficking. I'm pleased that the final bill includes language modeled after Minnesota's Safe Harbor provision to help ensure that minors who are sold for sex are treated as victims, not prosecuted as criminals, and I will keep pushing until we get this package across the finish line and signed into law."

Klobuchar is a national leader in the fight to combat sex trafficking. Her bipartisan legislation modeled after Minnesota's "Safe Harbor" law, which she introduced with Cornyn and Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), would give 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. The legislation is supported by the National Conference of State Legislatures, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Fraternal Order of Police, Shared Hope International, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, United Methodist Women.

The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which served as the basis for the sex trafficking agreement, would help law enforcement to further crack down on human traffickers in communities across the country while bringing about greater restitution and justice for victims. 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. The final version that passed the Senate replaces the originally proposed single source of money in the victims' fund with two funding streams. The first flows from fines collected on sex traffickers, and would be used for survivor services including things like shelter, enforcement and other broad services, excluding health care. The second would come from existing federal funds allocated for health care.

Source