WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a cosponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011, praised the committee’s action in reporting the bill out of committee Thursday morning.

“The United States has been a global leader in the fight against slavery and human trafficking, and the bill we reported out of committee today will help us continue to play that pivotal role,” Senator Coons said. “Vigilance against human trafficking is essential to our continual pursuit of justice. Globally, as many as four million people are trafficked each year for sex exploitation, forced labor, or as child soldiers, making trafficking perhaps the biggest global human rights issue in our time. Trafficking generates an estimated $9.6 billion each year for criminal organizations and absolutely must be stopped.”

The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act was first passed in 2000 and was reauthorized in 2003 and 2008, but is due to expire at the end of 2011. The bill approved by the Judiciary Committee on Thursday would extend its provisions until 2015. It also:

  • Amends the RICO Act to include labor contract fraud under its scope will help prosecute forced labor trafficking;
  • Criminalizes the knowing destruction, concealment, removal, confiscation, or possession of a person’s immigration documents;
  • Increases the statute of limitations to 10 years for those bringing civil actions for injuries caused by forced-labor or sexual criminal actions against minors;
  • Improves the immigration system created to assist victims of trafficking and their immediate family members, known as “T visas” and “U visas”;
  • Increases accountability of participating programs;
  • Strengthens and regionalizes global anti-trafficking efforts;
  • Establishes a fund to assist other countries with urgent needs related to trafficking; and
  • Improves access to information about human trafficking laws and protections for victims through immigration authorities and the Department of Health and Human Services.

“It’s easy to think of trafficking as a problem that doesn’t reach our shores, but nearly 20,000 people are trafficked in the United States each year,” Senator Coons said. “I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.”

The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 was introduced by Senator Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) and is cosponsored by 21 senators — 15 Democrats and six Republicans. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

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