Nolan Praises Bipartisan Anti-Sex Trafficking Package Passed by House

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan today praised passage of a bipartisan package of bills to more fully engage the departments of State, Homeland Security, Justice and Health & Human Services in the ongoing battle against childhood sex trafficking in the United States.

Nolan noted that the package included the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, a bill identical to the one he sponsored and helped pass in the House last year along with Republican Rep. Ted Poe of Texas.

That measure, which the Senate failed to consider, targets perpetrators with tough criminal penalties while encouraging treatment and counseling for victims – including a budget-neutral fund for victim assistance. Nolan said chances for this bill, along with others in the package, appear brighter in this Senate this time around.

“The package of anti-trafficking bills the House passed today and sent to the Senate clearly demonstrates the bipartisan nature of the campaign to put an end to this terrible exploitation of our youth – and marshal the nation’s resources to defend and protect children from predators who lurk on the Internet – or on the streets – or in our neighborhoods close to home,” Nolan said.

“The young people caught up in this web of abuse are not criminals – they are victims – and they need to be treated as victims who receive the counseling and help required to turn their lives around.”

“That’s the model we’ve employed here in Minnesota – and a big part of the reason the Duluth Model we celebrated with Vice President Biden just last fall has become a worldwide standard of excellence in treating victims and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.”