Washington, D.C.– The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved five bills to combat sex trafficking and protect victims of the crime. Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03), a leader in Congress on the issue, had bipartisan legislation he authored with Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04)—the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act (SETT)—pass the House by voice vote. The legislation encourages states to adopt ‘Safe Harbor’ laws that discourage prosecution of sex trafficking victims and connect them with needed services to help them escape.

“We’re restoring hope to thousands of young girls trapped in the horrific world of sex trafficking,” said Congressman Paulsen. “Whether going after websites that profit from sex trafficking advertising like Backpage.com or making sure victims have the critical services they need—we can put an end to this terrible crime.”

"I am so proud to join Representative Paulsen to help survivors of sex trafficking,” said Congresswoman Moore. “This horrific crime is a scourge that destroys the lives of far too many. This violence penetrates our communities and claims the childhoods and innocence of hundreds of thousands of voiceless victims. Today my colleagues reached across the aisle and took a profound step in helping our children regain their freedom and their voices."

In addition to the passage of the SETT Act, Congressman Paulsen also authored several provisions that were included in the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act. Those provisions will improve tracking and data collection to provide more information for law enforcement, policymakers, and advocacy groups to more effectively attack the problem.

"We are tremendously grateful for Congressman Paulsen's leadership in addressing one of the most troubling and insidious public health epidemics facing our country: the sexual exploitation and trafficking of our children. With today's passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3610 and H.R. 4058, we move a step closer to building a system in which children who have been sexually exploited are no longer criminalized, but instead proactively identified and connected to the supportive services they need to heal and to begin the long and painful journey from 'victim' to 'survivor.' I've sat with Congressman Paulsen as he's listened to some of those brave survivors share their stories, and it's clear that he carried their voices with him onto the House floor today," said Jeff Bauer, Director of Policy at The Family Partnership.

“This global epidemic does not discriminate and is happening right in our own backyard in different communities throughout the United States.  It is our job to protect sexually exploited victims and hold buyers and traffickers accountable for their actions through criminalization. The five anti-trafficking bills will be a giant leap in the right direction for this country in combating modern-day slavery,” said Vednita Carter, Director and Founder of Breaking Free.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that over 100,000 children are at risk of being trafficked every year and the average age of victims is 13 years old. Video of Paulsen’s floor speech in favor of the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act is available here.

Bills passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to combat sex trafficking:

H.R. 3610– Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act: Encourages states to adopt ‘Safe Harbor’ provisions to provide victims of sex trafficking with critical services. Paulsen authored this legislation.

H.R. 3530– Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act: Establishes fund to aid victims of sex trafficking; paid for by fines on criminals found guilty of trafficking minors or producing child pornography. Paulsen is a cosponsor of this legislation.

H.R. 4225– Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act: Allows for prosecution of websites like Backpage.com that profit off of the trafficking of minors. Paulsen is a cosponsor of this legislation.

H.R. 4058– Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act: Improves data and tracking in the foster care system. Paulsen authored provisions of this legislation.

H.R. 4573– International Megan’s Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking: Establishes a framework to notify international law enforcement when convicted child offenders move between countries.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

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