WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today applauded the Senate’s passage of his bipartisan legislation to combat human trafficking, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act (S. 1532), and the Combatting Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act (S. 1536), of which he’s a cosponsor. Both bills, which passed the Commerce Committee on August 2, 2017, were approved by unanimous consent in the full Senate last night.

“The Senate’s passage of these bipartisan bills is an important step in the ongoing battle against human trafficking,” said Thune. “These bills create a common-sense consequence for egregious wrongdoing and serve as a starting point for better recognition and reporting of human trafficking by commercial drivers.”

S. 1532 and S. 1536 would (respectively):

• Disqualify individuals from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for their lifetime if they used a CMV to commit a felony involving human trafficking.
• Designate a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the U.S. Department of Transportation and would increase outreach, education, and reporting efforts at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.