Houston Republic

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, released the following statement today at the press conference to unveil the “Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act.” This bipartisan legislation, introduced along with fellow Texan, Representative Michael McCaul, focuses on keeping our children safe from the scourge of human trafficking while at school where they should be learning and growing – free the harm.

Human trafficking is one of the greatest threats to human rights in the United States today, and many of those trafficked are minors. At least 5,359 trafficking victims and survivors identified through the United States National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2019 were under the age of 18, and in 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 17,200 reports of suspected child sex trafficking.

Nearly a decade ago, I brought the first field hearing to Houston to shine a light on the growing epidemic of human trafficking. Sadly, Houston has become an epicenter of human trafficking, and on any given day, 25% of all human trafficking victims in the United States can be found in the state of Texas. Recognizing the devastating human costs inflicted by human trafficking, it is critical that we respond to this national emergency with great haste and particularity.

While any child can be targeted, traffickers often seek out vulnerable children and youth who lack strong support networks, supervision, or care, have low self-esteem, have experienced violence in the past, are experiencing academic difficulties, or are marginalized by society and lure them into forced labor, prostitution, or other forms of sexual exploitation. And the proliferation of telecommunications technology including the internet, smartphones, and social media has made it easier for traffickers to target, lure, and control children and youth even at school, in class, or while attending school activities. A 2018 survey reported that 55% of young sex trafficking survivors in Texas were in school while they were being trafficked, 33% of those with a trafficker met him or her through a mutual friend, a family member, or at school, and 60% of trafficked adults say they were first groomed and solicited for trafficking on school campuses. That is why “The Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act” is aimed at combatting the scourge of human trafficking by increasing penalties for those convicted of human trafficking and other sex offenses involving minors while within the sanctity of schools and other places where children and youth gather, including colleges, universities, and playgrounds. Covered conduct would include contact made with children and youth using the internet, text and direct messaging, social media, and other similar platforms for the purpose of coercing or enticing them to engage in sexual activity.

Specifically, this bill would establish an enhanced penalty of up to five years in prison, for human trafficking offenses and sex offenses involving minors that occur within 1,000 feet of a school, school-sponsored activity, playground, or public housing facility; or within 100 feet of other places where children gather (e.g., a youth center or public swimming pool). Any prison term imposed under this new penalty must be served consecutively with any prison term imposed for the underlying offense. In this way, the bill seeks to ensure that schools are safe havens for children and not targets for predators.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee is pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation again with Representative McCaul and to have the backing of Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler, who is supporting the bill. She said, “With this bill, I continue my lifelong commitment to protecting our children and youth, keeping them safe, and helping them grow and thrive within their communities and beyond. This bill places the target directly on those individuals who would dare target and victimize our children as they attempt to broaden their minds and experiences through education and participation in extracurricular activities.” Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), is the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip for the United States House of Representatives, serving the 18th Congressional District of Texas. She is also a Senior Member of the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the Budget, and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime.

Original source can be found here.