Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. It provides for low clearance rates, which disproportionately affect victims and families of victims of marginalized communities. Not only do they prevent victims from accessing justice, but they also damage the public's trust. I have given money to help victims, and victims say: ``Do you know what? We are left alone,'' the victims or families. ``We are left alone to address this disparity.'' This bill will help not leave them alone, keep pressure on finding that culprit, that individual who violated them, that criminal who has violated them, and also by providing agencies with additional resources. This $100 million is to help victims. Is there anybody on the floor that wants to join in a bipartisan manner to help victims or to work with law enforcement who are on the job, who are saying: We need help because victims need help, and we certainly need to solve the crimes for these families who are longing to understand about their loved ones who have been raped, assaulted, and those who have lost their lives. I remind my colleagues of the father and baby in my community who were found dead. They need help. Support the VICTIM Act. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5768, Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act of 2022'' or the ``VICTIM Act,'' that would provide $100 million annually in grant funding to law enforcement agencies and prosecuting offices to bolster their ability to investigate and clear cases of homicide, rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, and non-fatal shootings. As someone who has always supported law enforcement, let me state plainly--this bill is about funding law enforcement agencies--not defunding them. Homicide clearance rates, in particular, have dropped consistently since the 1960's leaving many unsolved cases and many victims and their families still searching for justice. In 2020, the clearance rate for homicides fell to roughly 50 percent while pressure on law enforcement officials increased--leading to calls for more funding for overburdened departments with sizable caseloads and depleted resources. To address the challenges our law enforcement agencies are facing in solving homicides and other violent crime--in red states and blue states--this critical funding would help agencies improve their clearance rates through various means, including: ensuring retention of detectives assigned to violent crimes; hiring and training additional detectives and investigators dedicated specifically to investigating homicides and other violent crimes; hiring and training personnel for collecting, processing, and testing forensic evidence; and hiring and training personnel to analyze violent crime trends. Low clearance rates--which disproportionately affect victims and families of victims of marginalized communities--not only prevent victims from accessing justice, but they also damage the public's trust in law enforcement. To address this disparity, funding in the bill could be used to train personnel to address the needs of victims and family members and develop competitive and evidence-based programs and practices to improve both clearance rates and victim services--thereby rebuilding public confidence and improving community safety. The bill would also ensure victim services programs are funded, staffed, and trained, and that they provide restorative support to victims and their families. Investing in personnel as well as the technology needed to solve cases of homicide and other violent crime, also helps build public confidence and improve community safety. That is why H.R. 5768's funding can be used to acquire, upgrade, or replace investigative or evidence processing technology or equipment. By providing agencies with additional resources--drawing from an authorized amount of $100 million dollars--the VICTIM Act would equip agencies to better respond to and investigate serious crimes-- delivering justice to victims and making our communities safer. I commend Representative Val Demings for championing this thoughtful, bipartisan legislation and urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter dated November 1, 2021, from the Major Cities Chiefs Association and an article from Third Way titled ``The Red City Defund Police Problem.'' Major Cities Chiefs Association, November 1, 2021. Hon. Val Demings, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Rep. Demings: I write on behalf of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) to register our strong support for H.R. 5768, the VICTIM Act. The MCCA is a professional organization of police executives representing the largest cities in the United States and Canada. Nearly every major city in the United States is contending with a rise in violent crime. According to the MCCA's most recent Violent Crime Survey, comparing midyear 2020 with midyear 2021, homicides are up roughly 20 percent in major cities. In addition, most MCCA members have reported significant increases in gun violence, evidenced by the uptick in aggravated assaults. The grants authorized in the VICTIM Act will help law enforcement agencies overcome some of the challenges associated with responding to the current increase in violent crime. More specifically, this bill will provide law enforcement with critical resources to address staffing challenges, enhance their forensics capabilities, further deploy investigative technologies, and provide services to victims of violent crime and their families. Thank you for your continued leadership and support for our brave law enforcement officers. The MCCA stands ready to help advance this legislation. Sincerely, Jeri Williams, Chief, Phoenix Police Department, President, Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as we stand here today, there are women approaching doctors and nurses with a medical condition. Through no fault of their own, they need OB/GYN services. In the State of Texas, with horrific and antiquated and really vicious legislation, the doctors and nurses and medical professionals are made criminals. I have introduced H.R. 8838, the SHIELD Act, to protect doctors and nurses and medical personnel from frivolous and dangerous litigation so the medical industry can do their job. They can do a procedure that a woman may need. They can help if a woman is in the midst of aborting because of the issue of health. They can help women who, to save their life, have to have a medical procedure if they are pregnant. They can do their job and the oath they have taken. I am sad to stand on the floor today in 2022 to note we live in a Nation that would condemn the healers of our land, the ones who helped us in the pandemic. Support H.R. 8838. Sign on, cosponsor it, and let's protect the medical professionals.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the Presidential Election Reform Act which is long overdue. As I stand in the well, I can still see the images of January 6, 2021. I can hear the gunfire. I can hear and see the directions of our very able Capitol Police to tell Members to hit the ground. I can see the banging on the doors. Thank goodness this act will reform the electoral count to ensure that Congress counts the votes as required by the Constitution, including by ensuring that Congress receive a single accurate electoral count certificate from each State--no phony electors as evidenced by President Trump's attempt to bring down this Nation. Requiring that the States select electors to accomplish this in accordance with State law existing as of the last election, it will reaffirm that the Vice President's role at the count is ministerial, raise the objection threshold to one-third instead of one person, one Member, and limit the explicit constitutional grounds upon which Members may object to a State electoral vote. They will list the explicit constitutional grounds. There will be order to the process. This is a democracy admired around the world. We must defend this democracy, and we are defending it by voting today on the Presidential Election Reform Act. This is what we should do, the Presidential Election Reform Act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Scott, for continuing to find ways to collaborate with his members and others to ensure that we respond to the crux of opportunity in America, and that is education. I am so grateful to be able to stand and support S. 1098 and to take this brief moment to thank my fellow alum, David Price, for being persistent in this legislation and serving the American people over the years that he has done. I had a chance to get a second bite of the apple. David was here and then came back. I have enjoyed every moment of his commitment to opportunities for Americans over the years, including housing and transportation and homeland security, and I certainly want to say to him that the American people are better for his service to this Nation. I thank him so very much. I am grateful to finally be able to say, Chairman Scott, to a constituent who I saw over the weekend that called the number of the bill--most times, constituents don't know bill numbers. They said: ``I need you to support S. 1098.'' Obviously, this is something so many of us have been looking to because we have heard this from our constituents. I am very grateful that this legislation now allows a married couple who has previously consolidated their Federal student loans, because we were allowed to do that--many people thought that was a good thing to do, to submit a joint application to the Department of Education to sever their loan, allowing each former spouse their proportional responsibility. Each former spouse would still be obligated for a share of the loan, but their share of responsibility would be benchmarked to the proportion of the debt that they brought into the consolidated loan. Without loan severance, if a spouse refused to pay their share, the other spouse remains responsible for full payment. This is important legislation as it relates to divorce and domestic violence or economic abuse. Bearing the risk of the full responsibility for a consolidated loan after divorce can dramatically restrain a spouse from moving on with their life, from supporting their children, from getting a house, from feeling safe. The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act also addresses the especially volatile situation of former relationships in which an individual was subjected to domestic or, as I said, economic abuse. As a sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act that became law in March of last year, I am especially concerned about women who have experienced physical, mental, sexual, emotional, even psychological abuse at the hands of a spouse or partner. S. 1098 allows them to separate from toxic relationships, get away from the economic abuse, and retain or maintain their credit so that they can go forward. This can also apply to a male who may be suffering from the same situation. Two married borrowers of Federal student loans could combine their debt into a single loan, but we can also come back now to ensure that they can separate it. This is an important step forward.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we enthusiastically add this to the component of making sure, under the Violence Against Women Act, that there is an expanded understanding of what happens when one spouse abuses another or the idea of economic abuse. Just as an example, when one spouse is not being timely, is not being responsive, for whatever reason is not able to be found, then the credit of the remaining spouse being dutiful is completely, if I might use the term, mutilated. I am eager to ensure that this bill is passed. I certainly acknowledge the Senator from the State of Texas, Senator Cornyn. We have worked together on other matters. I will let everybody know this bill is bipartisan, and I will let everyone know that what we will be doing is ensuring that people can restore their lives. They can stand up again and be able to pay their debt. As I finish, I am stunned by people who don't want to see us move forward for people to pay their debt. They can pay their debt. Let us all support S. 1098. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1098, the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act allowing a jointly-held loan debt to be separated. This legislation would allow a married couple, who had previously consolidation their federal student loan debts, to submit a joint application to the Department of Education to sever their loan, allotting to each former spouse their proportional responsibility. While each former spouse would still be obligated for a share of the loan, their share of responsibility would be benchmarked to the proportion of debt that they brought into the consolidated loan. Without loan severance, if a spouse refuses to pay their share of the loan, the other spouse remains responsible for full payment. This is very important legislation because it is a key to independence following a divorce. Without being able to sever their loan obligation after divorce, people are forced to continue interacting with their former spouse. Bearing the risk of full responsibility for a consolidated loan after divorce can dramatically restrain a spouse from moving on with their life, both financially and emotionally, as they are forced to maintain communication with someone from whom they no longer want to be closely associated. The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act also addresses the especially volatile situation of former relationships in which an individual was subjected to domestic or economic abuse from the other individual. As the sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act that became law in March of this year, I am especially concerned about women who have experienced physical, mental, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse at the hands of a spouse or partner. Thus, it is especially important that S. 1098 make it easy for women who have suffered from abuse to sever their loans, to help them sever their toxic relationships. Indeed, S. 1098 allows one borrower to submit a separate application in the event that the individual has experienced domestic or economic abuse from the other individual borrower or is unable to reasonably access the loan information of the other borrower. In the case of this occurring, the other non-applying individual borrower shall become solely liable for the remaining balance of the joint consolidation loan. Joint consolidation loans were first created for the good of Americans to combat growing default rates. Two married borrowers of federal student loans could combine their debt into a single loan. While the legislation was intended to proactively accommodate these life situations, joint consolidation forms came with no guidance from the Department of Education for cases of domestic or economic abuse. A divorce decree could not remove one spouse from the debt, nor could have any other agreement as both people were now legally responsible for the combined debt. If an ex-spouse refused to pay their share of the monthly payment, the other spouse would have to make the entire payment themselves. If a former couple wanted to make their student loan payments under a payment plan, both spouses would need to pay the loan under the same plan and provide their financial information. If one of them failed to do so, they would both be denied access to the payment plan. Because of all these loopholes, Congress eliminated access to joint consolidation loan applications in 2006. However, it did not provide a way to separate responsibility for existing loans, even in cases of domestic violence, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner. With the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, we can now provide a way out for those facing domestic violence or economic abuse, as victims in this position face challenges beyond their own control. As reported by the CDC, about 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, between 94 and 99 percent of domestic violence survivors have also experienced economic abuse, which includes coerced debt and withholding access to money. There are currently 776 borrowers with spousal consolidation loans, according to the Student Borrower Protection Center. It is our responsibility to do right for these borrowers who fell victim to the consequences of previous legislation. As the sponsor of H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act, I proudly support S. 1098's efforts to provide options for victims of violence, especially for women who are at a significantly higher risk.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 169) to amend title 17, United States Code, to require the Register of Copyrights to waive fees for filing an application for registration of a copyright claim in certain circumstances, and for other purposes.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4330) to maintain the free flow of information to the public by establishing appropriate limits on the federally compelled disclosure of information obtained as part of engaging in journalism, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4330, the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act, or the PRESS Act. The PRESS Act would create a strong but qualified Federal statutory privilege that protects journalists from being compelled by the Federal Government to reveal confidential sources and information. Additionally, the bill prohibits the Federal Government from compelling an electronic service provider that stores a journalist's information to disclose that information, as well as information relating to the journalist's personal account or technology device, to the government unless a court determines that there is a reasonable threat of imminent violence absent the information's disclosure and subject to other requirements and certain specified exceptions. H.R. 4330 is necessary and long-overdue legislation. Over the past several decades, Presidential administrations of both parties have attempted to crack down on leaks of classified information to media outlets, and these investigations have included efforts to obtain journalists' records. For example, just last year, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and CNN reported that the Department of Justice under the Trump administration sought the information and records of their reporters. The most sacred part of our freedom includes the protection and freedom of the press. That is embedded in the Constitution in our First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, so to hear and to see that glaring infraction shows us the necessity of this legislation before us. In addition, during the Obama administration, the Department reportedly searched FOX News reporter James Rosen's emails and even listed him as a coconspirator in an Espionage Act case it brought against a source of the leaked information. These and other recent episodes illustrate the need for stronger Federal protections for journalists and their sources. The truth is cleansing. The truth is democracy. Indeed, 40 States and the District of Columbia have enacted press shield laws, while other States afford similar privileges through their State constitution of common law. Moreover, there has been longstanding and bipartisan support in Congress for Federal protections. In 2005, former Vice President Mike Pence, when he was a Member of this body, first introduced the Free Flow of Information Act, which was very similar in concept to H.R. 4330. That legislation subsequently passed the House twice in the 110th and the 111th Congresses, the first time by 398-21, and the second time by voice vote. Unfortunately, the Senate never took action on these bills, but I am pleased that efforts to advance a Federal reporters shield bill continue in the House today. Again, we must stand for liberty. It is my hope that the Senate will finally take up this important issue. I thank Congressmen Jamie Raskin, Ted Lieu, and John Yarmuth for their work on the PRESS Act. I also thank the Judiciary Committee ranking member, Jim Jordan, for his support. The need for this legislation is as great, if not greater, than when it was first introduced in an earlier form many years ago. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it is good music and good sounds to hear my colleague indicating that this legislation has widespread support, and he is absolutely right. The only point that I would want to emphasize is that whenever this body and this Judiciary Committee can expand the rights to the protection of Americans and their rights to access justice, we should stand tall. Today, this legislation, with a small fix of providing an additional site for the people of western Washington to access their constitutional, judicial, and legal rights, I think this is a celebration. So because of the broad support for this, we are delighted. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 3034, and make known that it is a straightforward bill that will improve the administration of justice in Washington State and will reinforce our duty and responsibility to the American people for justice. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3034, which would amend title 28 of the U.S. Code to provide an additional place for holding court in the Western District of Washington. This one-sentence bill would allow residents of that district, which comprises half of Washington state--from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean--to attend federal court in Mount Vernon, Washington, halfway between Seattle and the Canadian border. Currently, residents of the surrounding counties, including the third most-populous county in the state, have to travel significant distances to access the federal justice system, leading to increased travel time and administrative costs. Adding Mount Vernon as an additional court location would alleviate those burdens. It would also be a cost-free change because there is an existing facility available for the court to use, and no court personnel would be permanently stationed there. Making use of this existing facility would ensure that litigants, attorneys, witnesses, and other court users would have greater access to the justice that our federal courts provide. This move will benefit the many individuals who live, work, and do business in Northwest Washington, and this legislation is broadly supported by the judges, attorneys, prosecutors, public defenders, and law enforcement in the Western District of Washington. I thank Representatives Suzan DelBene and Rick Larsen for calling attention to this issue and for introducing this legislation to improve the lives of the residents of Washington state. I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3034 is a straightforward bill that will improve the administration of justice in Washington State. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced as an important response to stopping human trafficking and sex trafficking at schools. In fact, its name was Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones. I introduced that bill to stop human trafficking in school zones. I am glad to be here on the floor of the House to continue this journey in protecting our children. I want to start with the words from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, one of the major supporters of this legislation: Child sex trafficking is one of the most despicable crimes an individual can commit. Sadly, there are far too many children victimized by this scourge. For example, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 17,200 reports of possible child sex trafficking in 2021. It is especially troubling that these crimes sometimes occur at schools which should be a safe haven for America's children. Besides gun violence, human trafficking, sex trafficking is a scourge that takes and destroys the lives of our children. H.R. 7566 will play an important part in addressing child sex trafficking by establishing additional penalties for offenders who commit these offenses in a school zone or within 1,000 feet of a school-sponsored activity. We want to be heard on stopping human trafficking and sex trafficking at our schools. And so the No Trafficking Zones Act, which was formerly the Stop Human Trafficking in Schools Act, would ensure that schools across the country, including institutions of higher learning, are safe spaces for learning and academic exploration, free from the menace of sex trafficking. H.R. 7566 would establish a sentencing enhancement of up to 5 years in several instances: First, in the case of any person who commits the offense of sex trafficking within a primary or secondary school zone or on or within 1,000 feet of the premises of a school-sponsored activity, or premises owned by an institution of higher learning. Second, for any person who commits the offense of coercion and enticement of a minor enrolled in a primary or a secondary school, or a person enrolled in an institution of higher learning, to travel in interstate or foreign commerce and engage in criminal sexual activity while the minor is in a school zone, or on or within 1,000 feet of premises where a school-sponsored activity is taking place, or while the person is on or within 1,000 feet of the premises owned by the institution of higher education. And third, for any person who commits the offense of coercion and enticement of a minor using the mail or facilities of interstate or foreign commerce, such as the text and instant messaging or social media platforms which have been used extensively, while the minor who is enrolled in school or an institution of higher education, is in a school zone, or on or within 1,000 feet of premises where a school- sponsored activity is taking place, or premises owned by the institution of higher education. Human trafficking is one of the greatest threats to human rights in the United States. It destroys a human being's life, and it destroys, forever, a child's life. In 2020, 11,193 instances of potential human trafficking were reported to the United States National Human Trafficking Hotline, with at least 70 percent of those instances involving sex trafficking, while an estimated 25 percent of all human trafficking victims in this country are in my home State of Texas at any given time, many of whom are minors. Mr. Speaker, I gave and held the first human trafficking hearing, field hearing from Houston, Texas, with my cosponsor of this legislation, the honorable Mike McCaul. I express my appreciation for his collaboration on this legislation, his enthusiastic collaboration, as he did join me when we held the first hearing on human trafficking in Houston, through the Homeland Security Committee. What I would say is that Houston had been the epicenter of human trafficking. It was a powerful hearing, and I am glad that we have joined together now to stop human trafficking at schools. Let me also offer my sympathy to him and his family for their loss. At least 5,359 trafficking victims and survivors identified through the 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. Many of these young victims of sex trafficking are students in school systems, colleges, trade schools, and universities across the country. A 2018 survey reported that in Texas, where no trafficking zone legislation passed with bipartisan support earlier this year, 55 percent of young sex trafficking survivors were trafficked while at school or school activities, and 60 percent of trafficked adults said they were first groomed and solicited for trafficking while on school campuses. That has been a hotbed of opportunity for the scourge of sex traffickers who want to prey upon our innocent children. I am grateful that the legislation in Texas generated out of an effort chaired by Bishop James Dixon, chair of the Houston Sports Authority at the NRG Arena, and began to develop a policy where there would be no trafficking zones around major stadiums and events. Members of this body know all too well that children are sexually exploited in many ways. Some young people are trafficked by their schoolmates or people they once considered friends. And while the traffickers seek out young people who have noticeable vulnerabilities, including problems at school, conflicts at home, or even the need to fill in a tuition gap caused by the loss of a scholarship, no child or young person is truly safe from the schemes of charismatic traffickers bent on exploiting and destroying young lives. With the proliferation of social media and the myriad ways in which we communicate with one another, traffickers have put these same means of communication to their own use to find, target, lure, groom, victimize, and exert control over their victims while buyers are using technology to find and purchase sex anonymously. Traffickers have infiltrated every known form of communication, especially the sites, messaging apps, and social media platforms our children use most frequently, leaving young children more vulnerable to manipulation. Access to the internet, cell phones, and smartphones make it easier, Mr. Speaker, for traffickers and buyers to communicate with children and youth. Even when they are at school, in class, or attending school-sponsored activities, there are no barriers, no walls, no brick walls, cement walls, steel walls, that can keep a trafficker from getting a precious child. As a result, trafficking has reached the halls, lunchrooms, gyms, dormitories, and classrooms of schools, colleges, and universities in every corner of the United States of America. These staggering facts and statistics led me to introduce this bipartisan legislation, the No Trafficking Zones Act, along with Chairman Nadler and Representative McCaul, who I wish to thank for working with me, as I have said previously, as well as Representative Johnson of Louisiana for his amendment that included the protection for young people at institutions of higher education. We came together in a bipartisan manner to exert the influence necessary to protect America's children collectively. I, again, thank Chairman Nadler, Representative McCaul of Texas, and Representative Johnson of Louisiana. I am delighted to work with them. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7566) to amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the punishment for human trafficking in a school zone, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 7566, as amended.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the issue of stopping human trafficking in school zones is such a crucial issue that I would hope that the focus of our debate today would be on saving the lives of children. I will just simply make the point, being on the Committee on Homeland Security and chairing the Judiciary subcommittee that deals with Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, that we all can work together for comprehensive immigration reform. Here we are today, specifically focused and pointed on ensuring that there are no trafficking zones in our country and specifically around our school zones where children cannot be harmed. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters from the Major Cities Chiefs Association; Texas State Representative Ron Reynolds; NAACP, Bishop James Dixon, Branch President; Break the Cycle U.S.A., Valerie Winborne, mother of trafficking victim; and Courtney Litvak, surviving--a summary of her experience where she was trafficked. Major Cities Chiefs Association, July 13, 2022. Hon. Shelia Jackson Lee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Michael McCaul, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Jerrold Nadler, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Rep. Jackson Lee, Rep. Nadler, and Rep. McCaul: I write on behalf of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) to register our support for H.R. 7566, the Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act. The MCCA is a professional organization of police executives representing the largest cities in the United States and Canada. Child sex trafficking is one of the most despicable crimes an individual can commit. Sadly, there are far too many children victimized by this scourge. For example, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 17,200 reports of possible child sex trafficking in 2021. It's especially troubling that these crimes sometimes occur at schools, which should be a safe haven for America's children. H.R. 7566 will play an important part in addressing child sex trafficking by establishing additional penalties for offenders who commit these offenses in a school zone or within 1,000 feet of a school-sponsored activity. These enhanced penalties will help establish a strong deterrent and ensure those who commit these heinous acts are held accountable. Thank you for your leadership and ongoing commitment to protecting America's children. Please do not hesitate to contact me if the MCCA can be of further assistance. Sincerely. Jeri Williams, Chief, Phoenix Police Department, President, Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I would just simply like to suggest that we can find trafficking in many other places. I also include in the Record the article: ``Epstein's `ground zero': How the financier reportedly wreaked havoc on Royal Palm Beach High School community.'' [From Business Insider, July 27, 2019] Epstein's `Ground Zero': How the Financier Reportedly Wreaked Havoc on the Royal Palm Beach High School Community (By Kat Tenbarge) Former Royal Palm Beach High School Assistant Principal Carolyn Brown told The Palm Beach Post it was an ``open secret'' that female students were involved in something suspicious that involved hundreds of dollars in cash and resulted in girls being bullied for being ``prostitutes'' and ``sugar babies.'' What administers didn't know, or at least didn't act upon, was that at least 15 underage girls enrolled at the high school were sexually assaulted by financier and now convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to police reports obtained by The Palm Beach Post. Like dozens of other accusations against the shadowy financier, who is currently being held without bail on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy in the southern district of New York, Epstein's Royal Palm Beach High accusers say he paid them to give him massages, during which he would coerce them into sex acts. Epstein was well aware that his victims would have been high schoolers, since The Post reported that a Royal Palm Beach High transcript was found in 2005 in his bedroom desk drawer at his $12 million Palm Beach estate, next to a massage table and an armoire filled with sex toys. One Royal Palm Beach High accuser told police she was 16- years-old when Epstein asked her to give him a massage while she was topless. She said she told him she was in high school. He asked what her favorite sex position was. Another 16-year-old told police Epstein said he would help her get into her dream college, New York University, after reviewing her SAT scores and high school transcript. Epstein also wrote a note on his own Jeffrey E. Epstein- branded stationary, Palm Beach police officers found, which instructed an employee to deliver a dozen roses to an underage girl who performed in a Royal Palm Beach High play. Police found the note in Epstein's garbage in 2005. These findings were some of the evidence brought forward before Epstein signed a plea deal in 2008 that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution and serve 13 months of an 18-month prison sentence, during which he could work from a high-rise in Palm Beach 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Now, Epstein is pleading not guilty to sex trafficking charges that accuse the elite financier of assaulting upward of 80 women, many who were underage at the time of the assault, including some as young as 14. The Palm Beach Post reports that Epstein recruited girls from several Palm Beach, Florida high schools, but that Royal Palm Beach High was his ``ground zero.'' The Post reports that girls who were part of Epstein's underage sexual assault scheme were bullied for being ``prostitutes'' and ``sugar babies,'' which administrators took notice of when they found $300 in a girl's purse after she was caught fighting with another female student. Attorney Adam Horowitz, who has represented some of Epstein's accusers in eight civil lawsuits, was quoted as describing the girls who were allegedly targeted as vulnerable, with some ``living in trailer parks,'' in The Post. Epstein asked girls to bring their friends, The Post reported, paying girls up to $200 for recruiting new victims. ``The younger the better,'' he instructed them, according to one accuser who was first approached by an adult who worked for Epstein in 2003 at a resort in Riviera Beach. That accuser went into her senior year at Royal Palm Beach High with Epstein's goal in mind, with The Post reporting she recruited at least eight other underage girls who then recruited their own friends, including some girls who were on the verge of homelessness and needed money, badly. ``Knowing what we know now, it's so sad what happened to those girls,'' Brown, the former assistant principal, told The Post.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article: `` `Open secret' at Royal Palm High School: At least 15 students were lured to Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach mansion'' right out of the school. Open Secret at Royal Palm High: At Least 15 Students Were Lured to Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach Mansion (By Lulu Ramadan) Tucked in the drawer of Jeffrey Epstein's bedroom desk, near a massage table and a wooden armoire filled with sex toys, was a teenage girl's Royal Palm Beach High School transcript. She was 16 years old when Epstein lured her to his Palm Beach home set at the end of a dead-end street behind a wall of hedges. And she's one of at least 15 girls from Royal Palm Beach High School who Epstein sexually exploited in that bedroom 15 years ago, police reports reveal. Epstein, a multimillionaire financier then in his 50s, lured a procession of girls as young as 14 to his home to perform nude massages for money, police and court records say. The massages often ended with Epstein groping or sexually assaulting the girls. Epstein's victims attended several Palm Beach County schools, including Lake Worth Middle and Palm Beach Gardens High. But Royal Palm Beach High, with about 3,000 students, many from the county's rural reaches, was ground zero. Evidence suggests Epstein knew his victims were school girls and the signs didn't escape Royal Palm Beach High administrators. The girls endured teasing and classmates called them ``prostitutes.'' After two girls fought, an administrator found one of them had $300 in her purse. Aside from the student transcript found in Epstein's desk in 2005, police collected more evidence and witness statements that suggest Epstein knew his victims were still school children: He scrawled a note on Jeffrey E. Epstein-branded stationery instructing one of his employees to deliver a dozen roses to a girl who performed in a Royal Palm Beach High play. Police found the note in his trash. One 16-year-old girl described to detectives giving Epstein a massage while she was topless. He asked her about herself and she told him she was a student at Royal Palm High. He then asked her which was her favorite sexual position, she told police. Another girl, who met Epstein at age 16, said Epstein reviewed her college applications and SAT scores and promised to help her get into her dream school, New York University. Though Palm Beach detectives uncovered these details in 2005, the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office and U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, then headed by Alexander Acosta, cut Epstein a plea deal that landed him in jail for 13 months on two charges of soliciting prostitution. This month, a decade after his release from a Palm Beach County jail, federal agents in New York arrested Epstein, 66, on charges of sex trafficking minors. The move came eight months after a Miami Herald investigation zeroed in on Acosta's role in Epstein's plea deal and let victims tell their stories publicly for the first time. Epstein preyed on dozens of girls, at least 32 identified at the time by police but about 80 identified in 2018 by the Herald. ``These girls had never even been to Palm Beach island,'' said Adam Horowitz, an attorney who represented Epstein victims in eight civil lawsuits filed against the multimillionaire. ``Some of them were living in trailer parks. This was a whole new world to them.'' For Epstein: `The younger the better' Some of the girls told Epstein they were uncomfortable with being touched during massages, so he asked them to bring friends instead, police reports and court records reveal. He paid girls about the same amount, around $200, to recruit a friend as he paid the girls who stripped down and performed massages, court records show. Royal Palm Beach High was a target by coincidence. ``One of Epstein's recruiters managed to infiltrate that circle,'' Horowitz said. The ``recruiter'' approached a 17-year-old Royal Palm Beach High School student in 2003 at a resort in Riviera Beach with an offer to make $200 for an hour to give a massage, she told police two years later. The teen went to Epstein's seven-bedroom home on the Intracoastal Waterway, where an assistant led her up a staircase lined with pictures of naked young girls and into Epstein's bedroom, police say. In keeping with descriptions to police from many Epstein victims, the teen found Epstein wearing only a towel, which he later removed, before lying on a massage table. Epstein tried to grope her, but she resisted. She told him she didn't want to be touched, she told detectives. So Epstein asked her to bring friends to his home for cash instead. ``The younger the better,'' Epstein said, according to her police statement. Going into her senior year at Royal Palm Beach High, the girl became a conduit to the school, recruiting at least eight other girls she'd met on campus, court depositions and police testimonies reveal. And those girls recruited more girls. Name-calling and a fight One Royal Palm Beach High student told detectives in 2005 that she targeted promiscuous teens on campus. Another said she brought a friend on the verge of homelessness and strapped for cash. School administrators knew something unusual was happening, police reports show. Students teased the Epstein clique as ``prostitutes'' or ``sugar babies,'' a term for young women who seek relationships with wealthy, older men, The Post learned from court depositions and former students. The tension came to the administration's attention in February 2005, when a 14-year-old freshman, the first of Epstein's victims to speak to police, got into a fight on campus with a girl who called her a ``prostitute,'' police said. But the school kept no disciplinary record of the fight and didn't report anything, police learned in 2005. At the time, it appeared the girls were making money doing something nefarious, one former administrator, then-Assistant Principal Carolyn Brown, said in a brief interview this month. It was an ``open secret,'' Brown said, stopping short of saying whether school administrators knew the girls were paid for sexual favors. Brown was subpoenaed to testify in the 2005 criminal case against Epstein after she found $300 in the 14-year-old's purse on campus shortly after the fight, court records reveal. Administrators considered and then dismissed the idea that it might be drug money, detectives wrote in a 2005 report. Brown, who is retired, never spoke to prosecutors. Soon after her subpoena, federal prosecutors struck Epstein's plea deal calling for 18 months in county jail, registration as a sex offender and payments to victims. It wasn't clear if the principal at the time, Sheila Henry, knew that more than a dozen students were involved with Epstein. Henry wasn't mentioned in police reports and could not be reached for comment. But two former students reached by The Post, who asked to stay anonymous, said students gossiped that some girls had rich, older boyfriends who bought them expensive gifts. Six other students didn't recall any such talk. None of the girls knew then what the public knows now: That a Palm Beach millionaire tapped a local high school to prey on girls for his sexual gratification. ``Knowing what we know now,'' said Brown, the former assistant principal, ``it's so sad what happened to those girls.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the article: ``Police: Children recruiting other kids for human trafficking at schools.'' This was in Florida. [From WKMG ClickOrlando.com, Nov. 1, 2018] Police: Children Recruiting Other Kids for Human Trafficking at Schools Florida ranks 3rd in the nation for calls to human trafficking hotline (By Erik von Ancken) Orlando, FL.--Human trafficking is real and it is happening in Central Florida. Crystal Blanton, co-chair of the Marion County Human Trafficking Task Force, said she receives thousands of reports from the National Human Trafficking Hotline every year. ``Usually the reports are in the thousands, every year,'' Blanton said. ``Thousands of people are being human trafficked. Right here in Marion County and across the state of Florida.'' Blanton said it's not like the movies (``Taken'' 2008), where young girls are taken during their summer vacations by foreign human traffickers to be sold to sultans or sheiks. But local children, often as young as 12, are being recruited into a life of forced prostitution. ``I just think it's the internet, I hate to say it,'' Blanton said. ``Social media has grown the field of human trafficking. It's easier for these traffickers to make contact with victims.'' Blanton said traffickers look for vulnerable teenagers online--runaways, teenagers complaining about their lives and their parents, young people with drug addictions--and befriend them. But human trafficking isn't confined to any race or class, according to Blanton. Some victims were on the honor roll headed to college. ``We've had doctors' children who have been intertwined,'' Blanton said. Blanton also said human traffickers align with students and use them and their schools as recruiting grounds. ``There are recruiters, juvenile recruiters in the schools, working with a pimp of some kind, and they are sent out in the schools and given a job to bring other minors on board,'' Blanton said. Blanton said the task force has had success educating Marion County elementary, middle and high school principals in looking for signs of human trafficking and placing Human Trafficking Hotline posters in schools. Mike Lanfersiek, a sergeant at the Human Trafficking Squad at Orlando's Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), said the definition of human trafficking is forcing a person to have sex or to work through force, fraud or coercion. ``Human trafficking is quite simply the exploitation of another person for commercial sex or forced labor,'' Lanfersiek said. Lanfersiek said once victims, female or male, enter into the life of human trafficking, they are kept there by their captor, taking advantage of their vulnerability. ``A vulnerability to substance abuse, the fear of physical beating, or withholding passports or documents, things like that,'' Lanfersiek. Lanfersiek's Human Trafficking Squad has rescued hundreds of young women and children, often from hotels in the tourist district of Orange and Osceola Counties. ``Anywhere where the trafficker thinks there might be demand for commercial sex,'' Lanfersiek said. Traffickers often set up their prostitution operation at hotels because they cater to visitors in town for business or pleasure who are looking for sex, according to Lanfersiek. Lanfersiek said he just rescued a 15-year-old girl from a hotel on International Drive. ``She had met someone on the `Plenty of Fish' website and felt this person was her boyfriend, exploiting her vulnerabilities, pimping her out,'' Lanfersiek said. In July, MBI agents arrested three men for luring a teenage girl through a social media app to an International Drive hotel and then prostituting her and having sex with her. In 2016, Orlando police charged two men with the death of a 14-year-old girl who they'd been allegedly prostituting, driving her to men's homes to have sex. Lanfersiek said MBI regularly sets up undercover sting operations to catch traffickers and rescue victims. MBI analysts spend their days online, searching through postings by human traffickers looking for victims and offering them for prostitution. Lanfersiek offered this warning: If you're coming to Central Florida looking for a date for sex, you may get a date with an undercover officer.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, my good friend has spoken about the southern border. I include in the Record the article: ``Recruitment and Entrapment Pathways of Minors into Sex Trafficking in Canada and the United States: A Systematic Review.'' Northern border, by the way, that I would offer to say. [From Trauma, Violence, & Abuse] Recruitment and Entrapment Pathways of Minors Into Sex Trafficking in Canada and the United States: A Systematic Review (By Kyla Baird and Jennifer Connolly) Abstract--the domestic sex trafficking of minors is occurring across Canada and the United States. Understanding the routes into sex trafficking, including the way traffickers target, recruit and enmesh youth in the sex trade is invaluable information for service providers and law makers developing prevention and intervention initiatives. This review synthesized research on the exploitation processes and tactics employed by traffickers in the sex trafficking of domestic minors in Canada and the US. The authors comprehensively and systematically searched five electronic databases and obtained additional publications and grey literature through a backward search of the references cited in articles reviewed for inclusion. Inclusionary criteria included: Studies published in the English language between January 1990 and June 2020 containing original research with quantitative or qualitative data on the recruitment or pathways into sex trafficking for minors trafficked within the US and Canada. The search yielded 23 eligible studies. The synthesis of the studies in the review converged on the notion of sexual exploitation occurring on a continuum comprising of three components; the recruitment context, entrapment strategies utilized by traffickers, and enmeshment tactics used to prolong exploitation. Findings highlight the significant physical, psychological and emotional hurdles faced by youth victims of sex trafficking and point to the importance of comprehensive and holistic approaches to prevention and intervention practices. Human trafficking is a global problem that has garnered significant international and national attention over the past 2 decades. In 2000, 140 countries signed onto the Palermo protocol agreeing that human trafficking is a significant human rights violation and a criminal offense that requires prevention, the protection of vulnerable populations, and the prosecution of violators of the protocol. In North America, both Canada and the United States signed this protocol and have since passed legislation and policies to combat human trafficking. Sex trafficking became criminalized in Canada in 2005 when human trafficking entered the criminal code under section 279.01 and in the United States in 2000 with the passing of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Sex trafficking is one of the most common forms of human trafficking consisting of the recruitment and exploitation of an individual through the use of threats, force, coercion, deception, or abuse of power for the purpose of a commercial sex act (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2014). A commercial sex act, as defined by the American TVPA (2000), is ``any sexual act for which something of value is given or received.'' Common examples include prostitution, pornography, sexual massage parlors, and strip clubs. Commercial sex acts may be exchanged for money, drugs, shelter, clothing, or food (Cole & Anderson, 2013; Kotrla, 2010). Sex trafficking is rampant across the United States and Canada (Clawson et al., 2009; Dalley, 2010). Despite various political and social differences between these countries, they are united on the front of combating sex trafficking within their borders and expanding research to support effective evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. Sex Trafficking of Minors (STM) Minors (under the age of 18) are overrepresented among victims of sex trafficking, with the majority of victims recruited between 12 and 14 years of age (Jordan et al., 2013; Smith et al., 2009). Given the elevated risk for minors, research and legislation have begun to focus on the specific issue of the STM. Consequently, our understanding of the risks for recruitment, experiences, and needs of underage victims is growing, and important policy actions have been taken. In the past decade, both Canada and the United States have passed legislation, reformed laws, and enacted policies to combat issues of the STM. Legislative changes in both Canada and the United States have transformed the way victims are viewed and treated by law enforcement. More specifically, American and Canadian federal consent laws declared minors under the age of 18 unable to consent to commercial sex and have shifted the lens of law enforcement from criminalizing youth in the sex trade to viewing them as victims (Adelson, 2008; Franchino-Olsen, 2019). Language in research on STM has followed suit, shifting from calling underage victims of sex trafficking ``teen prostitutes'' to ``victims of STM.'' On the basis of age, youth from all sectors of society are at risk for recruitment into sex trafficking. Developmental vulnerabilities such as identity formation, the need for belonging, desire for autonomy, desire for romantic relationships, and evolving problem-solving skills make them easily exploitable by traffickers who appeal to these vulnerabilities (Schwartz, 2015). Based on the growing literature, some youths are at greater risk for recruitment than others. Several risk factors for STM have been identified, including involvement with child protective services, history of childhood sexual abuse, homelessness, physical and emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to intimate partner violence, problematic relationships with caregivers, drug and alcohol abuse, and teen dating violence (Choi, 2015; Countryman-Roswurm, 2012; Countryman-Roswurm & Bolin, 2014; Farley et al., 2005; Franchino-Olsen, 2019; Kotrla, 2010; Landers et al., 2017). Traffickers are known to be deeply perceptive of the developmental vulnerabilities of youth and target their unmet needs through strategic recruitment methods. Simply being a girl places a youth at an elevated risk status relative to boys (Estes & Weiner, 2001), with 98% of victims being women and girls (International Labour Organization, 2012). Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation due to social norms that cast gendered expectations and power imbalances in relation to sexual activities, with boys being expected to take sexual initiatives. Sexual inexperience, desire for romantic relationships, and insecurity among young girls can set the stage for manipulation and exploitation by adolescent boys or men (Hanna, 2002). Based on the differential needs and situations of youth, the recruitment and exploitation of underage populations are thought to differ from adult populations (Bouche & Shady, 2017; Dank et al., 2014). While it may be riskier to traffic a youth due to increased policing efforts in protecting minors and higher sentences for STM, it has been suggested that these risks are offset by the youth being easier to manipulate and control and being highly desired by purchasers, bringing in more money for the trafficker (Dank et al., 2014). Compared to adults, youths have greater needs for protection, less life experience, and are dependent on adults for basic needs such as food and shelter, making them more vulnerable to traffickers who vow to provide care, protection, and basic needs (Bruhns et al., 2018; Cole & Anderson, 2013). Given youths' physical and emotional dependency on adults, some research have suggested youths are more trusting and less able to identify traffickers' coercive and manipulative strategies to entrap them (Cole & Sprang, 2015). Adult victims, on the other hand, are generally less psychologically dependent on their trafficker (Bouche & Shady, 2017). In addition, literature on the trafficking of adults identify several risk factors that are more unique to adult victim populations, including needing to financially support dependents, low educational attainment, and having few job skills (Holger-Ambrose et al., 2013). Despite differences in adult and underage victim populations, much of the extant research on recruitment for sex trafficking have pooled both underage and adult participants or examined victimized adults only, limiting our understanding of the STM specifically (Reid, 2014). In order to translate sex trafficking research into evidence-based initiatives to combat the STM, it is important for research to delineate the specific ways in which traffickers target and recruit youth into the sex trade. The current study aims to synthesize research that focuses on youth recruitment into sex trafficking in North America. North American Context of Sex Trafficking There have been few attempts to estimate the prevalence of the STM in North America; however, available statistics are often ``guesstimates'' rather than reliable rates (Franchino- Olsen et al., 2020; Stransky & Finkelhor, 2012). Available estimates for STM most commonly come from the United States, where the rates range from 1,400 to upward of 199,000 victims (Banks & Kyckelhahn, 2011; Estes & Weiner, 2001; Snyder & Sickmund, 2006; U.S. Department of Justice, 2004), with the most commonly cited study estimating upward of 325,000 children at risk for sexual exploitation in the United States each year (Estes & Weiner, 2001). However, available statistics are problematic as they often fail to distinguish between domestic and international victims, are based on varying definitions of sex trafficking, are geographically limited, and utilize nonreplicable, unreliable methodologies (Fedina et al., 2019; Franchino-Olsen et al., 2020; Stransky & Finkelhor, 2012). Researcher error aside, the very nature of the sex trafficking industry presents barriers to the acquisition of accurate statistics. Most significant among these is the fact that trafficking occurs largely underground, within criminal networks that are transient, discrete, and often invisible, even to law enforcement (Duger, 2015; Franchino-Olsen et al., 2020). Difficulty in obtaining estimates of an invisible crime is compounded by the fact that many individuals victimized by sex trafficking do not view themselves as victims of a crime and therefore do not report it in any official capacity (Mcclain & Garrity, 2011). Despite flawed and unreliable statistics, STM is known to be widespread across Canada and the United States, requiring immediate action and sound research to uncover trends and pathways of youth into sex trafficking including the way traffickers target, recruit, and enmesh youth in the sex trade (Clawson et al., 2009; Cole & Sprang, 2015; Dalley, 2010). While STM defies geographic borders, a country's economic environment, geographic positioning, laws, employment rates, per capita income, and historical events shape the industry and individual risk for recruitment (Hepburn & Simon, 2010; C. O'Brien, 2009). As a result, trends in STM within North America are different from the European context. The permeable borders between European countries allow for easy international movement between proximal countries (Lindstrom, 2004). For example, one report found only 5% of all identified sex-trafficked victims in the United Kingdom (UK) were originally from the UK, which is a stark contrast to the picture of trafficking in NA where the majority of victims are domestic persons (Baird, McDonald & Connolly, 2020; Banks & Kyckelhahn, 2011; Mitchell et al., 2010; Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP], Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, 2014; Serious Organised Crime Agency, 2013). Given sex trafficking industries vary between countries based on differences in social, geographical, cultural, economic, and historical factors, it is not appropriate to generalize understandings of STM across countries that are dissimilar across these factors (Hepburn & Simon, 2010). As such, the current study narrowed its focus to systematically reviewing the recruitment of minors for sex trafficking in two countries, Canada and the United States both of which have similar cultural, economic, geographic, and historical contexts. The domestic STM is of major concern within Canada and the United States (Clawson et al., 2009; Dalley, 2010). While both countries adhere to the standards of affluent and profitable nations that are alluring destinations for international sex traffickers, research consistently shows that domestic youth (i.e., youth trafficked within their country of origin) comprise the majority of underage victims in their respective countries (Baird et al., 2020; Kotrla, 2010; RCMP, Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre, 2014). Due to the risks and challenges associated with transporting victims across borders, some research suggests that domestic youths are preferred by traffickers (Smith et al., 2009). In summarizing the literature on recruitment and entrapment, it is important to distinguish between international and domestic sex trafficking due to the nuanced differences in the process of exploitation. Comparatively, researchers suggest domestic sex traffickers more often utilize interpersonal relationships and domestic violence to entrap their target and international traffickers rely upon kidnapping, parents' selling their children, and offering false promises of jobs abroad for entrapment (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014). Understanding the specific ways American and Canadian youths are recruited by traffickers and exploited domestically is important in developing effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, then let me offer this point of importance. The victims are not here on this floor, but we must carry their story to this floor, to ensure that we do not see another victim. So I will offer these words from Courtney. Courtney has made it her mission to tell her story and speak out to spread awareness of human trafficking and help shape policy to protect other young people from falling victim to the schemes of human traffickers and to hold traffickers accountable. She became entangled in sex trafficking while still in school. Despite what some believe about victims of human trafficking, she grew up in a loving, church-going family, in a safe neighborhood, and attended an upscale suburban high school in Texas. At the age of 17, she was under the control of her first trafficker. She was being advertised for illicit sex on websites like Backpage. A trafficker with ties to her high school used fellow students to prey upon her and use her vulnerabilities to their advantage, offering her friendship and support when she felt she had none, meanwhile drawing her gradually and deeper into the life. She was actually groomed by two different organized crime networks simultaneously, and each groomer chatted with her through social media and messaging. One network even invested in grooming Courtney for almost an entire year. Her first trafficker picked her up from school. She was unenrolled from her school and had her entire life uprooted in a desperate attempt to intervene in an exploitation. She returned back to her hometown where days after turning 18, she was taken from her home by another invested trafficker. She soon realized she was in this world, and over and over again she was used and transported from Texas to California to Las Vegas, passing from one hand to the next. What a vile life. She is willing to share this life. It is extremely important that we pass this legislation and that we address the question of what can happen to our innocent children. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for closing. Let me express my appreciation to those who sacrificed to share with us their stories and those who worked on this very important effort: Bishop James Dixon, II, the No Trafficking Zone cofounder and senior pastor of the Community of Faith Church, Branch President of the NAACP, Houston Branch; Jacquelyn Aluotto, NTZ cofounder, founder of Real Beauty Real Women; and Courtney Litvak, a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, who will participate in unveiling their annual report later this week; and so many others who have really helped. Jacquelyn Aluotto was someone who inspirationally wanted to lead us in this direction and worked very hard. Each of us has a duty to protect young people, whether it be from drugs, gun violence, or sex traffickers. Our children deserve to be safe, and parents should know their children will be safe when they put them on the school bus or move them into their new dorms. To be sure, H.R. 7566, the No Trafficking Zones Act, provides increased accountability for anyone who would dare interrupt or interfere with a young person's ability to obtain an education and lay the foundation for a productive future for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In drafting this legislation, I am grateful for the contribution of the No Trafficking Zone Initiative and all of those whose names I have called, including those names not called, those victims silenced, or lives lost or destroyed. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 7566. This is a great day for helping to stop sex trafficking, human trafficking, where our children should be most safe, and that is at our schools. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7566, the bipartisan ``No Trafficking Zones Act,'' would ensure that schools across the country, including institutions of higher education, are safe spaces for learning and academic exploration--free from the menace of sex trafficking. H.R. 7566 would establish a sentencing enhancement of up to five years in several instances: First, in the case of any person who commits the offense of sex trafficking within a primary or secondary school zone, or on, or within 1,000 feet of the premises of a school-sponsored activity or premises owned by an institution of higher education; Second, for any person who commits the offense of coercion and enticement of a minor enrolled in a primary or secondary school or a person enrolled in an institution of higher education--to travel in interstate or foreign commerce and engage in criminal sexual activity-- while the minor is in a school zone, or on, or within 1,000 feet of, premises where a school-sponsored activity is taking place or while the person is on, or within 1,000 feet of, premises owned by the institution of higher education; And, third, for any person who commits the offense of coercion and enticement of a minor using the mail or facilities of interstate or foreign commerce--such as text and instant messaging or social media platforms--while the minor who is enrolled in school or an institution of higher education, is in a school zone, or on, or within 1,000 feet of, premises where a school-sponsored activity is taking place or premises owned by an the institution of higher education. Human trafficking is one of the greatest threats to human rights in the United States. In 2020, 11,193 instances of potential human trafficking were reported to the United States National Human Trafficking Hotline with at least 70 percent of those instances involving sex trafficking, while an estimated 25 percent of all human trafficking victims in the country are in my home state of Texas at any given time--many of whom are minors. That is why the Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act that we are debating is so important to pass. At least 5,359 of trafficking victims and survivors identified through the 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. Many of these young victims of sex trafficking are students in school systems, colleges, trade schools, and universities across the country. A 2018 survey reported that in Texas--where No Trafficking Zone legislation passed with bipartisan support earlier this year--55 percent of young sex trafficking survivors were trafficked while at school or school activities and 60 percent of trafficked adults said they were first groomed and solicited for trafficking while on school campuses. Members of this body know all too well that children are sexually exploited in many ways. Some young people are trafficked by their schoolmates or people they once considered friends. And while traffickers seek out young people who have noticeable vulnerabilities--including problems at school, conflicts at home, or even the need to fill in a tuition gap caused by the loss of a scholarship--no child or young person is truly safe from the schemes of charismatic traffickers bent on exploiting and destroying young lives. With the proliferation of social media and the myriad ways in which we communicate with one another, traffickers have put these same means of communication to their own use--to find, target, lure, groom, victimize, and exert control over their victims. While buyers are using technology to find and purchase sex anonymously. Traffickers have infiltrated every known form of communication-- especially the sites, messaging apps, and social media platforms our children use most frequently--leaving young people more vulnerable to manipulation. Access to the internet, cell phones, and smartphones makes it easier for traffickers and buyers to communicate with children and youth--even when they are at school, in class, or attending school-sponsored activities. As a result, trafficking has reached the halls, lunchrooms, gyms, dormitories, and classrooms of schools, colleges, and universities in every corner of this nation. These staggering facts and statistics led me to introduce this bipartisan legislation, the No Trafficking Zones Act, known as the Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act, along with Chairman Nadler and Representative McCaul, who I wish to thank for working with me, as well as Representative Johnson of Louisiana for his amendment, that included the protections for young people at institutions of higher education. Each of us has a duty to protect young people--whether it be from drugs, gun violence, or sex traffickers. Our children deserve to be safe; and parents should know their children will be safe when they put them on the school bus or move them into their new dorms. To be sure, H.R. 7566, the No Trafficking Zones Act, provides increased accountability for anyone who would dare interrupt or interfere with a young person's ability to obtain an education and lay the foundation for a productive future--for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In drafting this legislation, I am grateful for the contributions of the No Trafficking Zone Initiative, Bishop James Dixon, Jacquelyn Aluotto, and Courtney Litvak, who is also a member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and will participate in unveiling their Annual Report later this week. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7181) to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to direct the Secretary of Transportation to seek to provide for the posting of contact information of the national human trafficking hotline in the restrooms of each aircraft, airport, over-the-road bus, bus station, passenger train, and passenger railroad station operating within the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7181.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7181, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022, would provide for the posting of the contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the restrooms of our country's transportation centers, where we know many trafficking victims pass through, as well as all Federal buildings and ports of entry to inform victims and those who witness suspected trafficking situations that help is available. As I have said many times before, smuggling people across international borders is an equally troubling crime but distinct from human trafficking. Smugglers must be prosecuted, and the exploitation of their victims must not go unpunished. While many believe human trafficking happens only in other countries, the victimization of adults, youth, and children for the purposes of performing labor, commercial sex acts, and other services happens on an enormous scale in rural, urban, and suburban communities across the United States. We can document that by many organizations that are fighting the scourge of human trafficking. H.R. 7181 would require the posting of the National Human Trafficking Hotline contact information in all Federal buildings; require the Department of Transportation and the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate with owners and operators of transportation hubs such as airports, bus stations, and train stations to post the contact information for the hotline in their restrooms; and, three, require the Department of Health and Human Services and other appropriate Federal agencies to post the hotline's contact information at every port of entry. In 2020, more than 11,193 instances of potential human trafficking were reported to the United States National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. In Texas, there are reportedly 313,000 victims of human trafficking at any given time, including 79,000 children and youth who are victims of sex trafficking and 234,000 adults who are victims of labor trafficking. The victims of human trafficking tend to be concealed, living in fear and isolated, in some cases physically and in other cases emotionally. They might remain under the control of their traffickers for a variety of reasons, including a lack of the basic necessities to escape, like transportation or a safe place to go. Some may be afraid for their safety, while others may not recognize that they are under the control of their trafficker. Even after they are rescued or escape, there is always a possibility the victims will be revictimized. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is an essential component of the fight to end human trafficking, offering toll-free phone lines and SMS text lines that are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The hotline provides help, safety, and hope to victims and survivors by connecting them to the support and services they need. They must know that they are not alone. That is the most important message that we want to give on the floor of the House today. The victims of sex trafficking and human trafficking, the children and the adult victims, are not alone. Victims in crisis can receive assistance with safety planning, emotional support, and/or immediate connections to emergency services, while survivors can get help in rebuilding their lives. Mr. Speaker, that is an important aspect of this legislation we are putting forward today. The hotline also plays a vital role in combating human trafficking by helping law enforcement identify and rescue victims by receiving tips about a potential situation of human trafficking and by providing reports of tips to the appropriate authorities. We must make every effort to identify victims and ensure victims and survivors of human trafficking are connected to services that can lead them to safety and help them begin to restore their lives. That begins with reaching them where they are and letting them know who they can call on for help without risking their safety. Traffickers rely on our Nation's transportation infrastructure to transport their victims from city to city and State to State. In the brief moments victims are allowed by their traffickers to have a moment alone in the restroom of a bus station or airport, they may be able to call or even text for help. Victims, survivors, and concerned citizens need to know that help is just a phone call away because one call can mean the difference between life and death. Despite the clandestine nature of human trafficking, we have learned from survivors that opportunities do exist to reach victims, and we should make the most of them. H.R. 7181, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022, does exactly that. I am very grateful to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), and the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace) for introducing this strategic and practical measure. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the gentleman for his closing, I include in the Record the ``Katy Sex-Trafficking Survivor Teams with White House to Fight Growing Threat''; ``4-Year-Old Among 31 Human Trafficking Victims Rescued in Kansas, Missouri''; ``Texas authorities rescue 70 missing children victimized by sex trafficking''; from the Houston Chronicle, November 23, 2020, ``Report: Human Trafficking Spikes in Texas Amid Pandemic''; and two additional articles relating to human trafficking. [From Katy Magazine News, Dec. 10, 2019] Katy Sex-Trafficking Survivor Teams With White House To Fight Growing Threat (By Natalie Cook Clark) 21-year-old Courtney Litvak of Katy hopes her experience as a sex-trafficking victim can help other young people. As the Childproof America Ambassador, she has taken her fight against human trafficking to the White House. After a year of ``grooming'' from various people, Courtney Litvak, a Cinco Ranch High School student, left her Katy home. At 18-years-old, she started a life in human trafficking that lasted two years. Now, saved and back home, Courtney works to raise awareness and end this epidemic affecting students around the country, and right here in Katy. Cinco Ranch Student Survived Sex-Trafficking Courtney Litvak, now 21, grew up in Katy in a loving home. She went to church every Sunday and competed on a local swim team. But at 18, she willingly left her home to enter a life in human-trafficking. ``I was groomed by multiple people over the period of a year,'' says Courtney. ``This is such a subtle process that it's easy not to notice.'' She pointed out that social media is often a major form of communication and makes such crimes difficult to track. Victims Lose All Control ``They (victims) don't understand what will be their reality when they lose control,'' explains Courtney. She felt she was targeted when she was vulnerable after experiencing a traumatic event. ``I was assaulted and I became a changed person,'' says Courtney. ``You should not go through a loss and then become a target.'' Childproof America Supports Families, Educates Communities In 2017, Courtney's mother, Kelly Litvak founded Childproof America, a non-profit organization aimed at educating families and communities about the warning signs that can ultimately save children from becoming victims of this growing trend in our country. ``It's key for people to understand this issue,'' says Kelly. ``Every household in Katy needs to be informed about human trafficking. Denial is a coping mechanism and it's difficult for parents to comprehend. Child and sex should never go into the same sentence. It's because of this mindset that this is a threat to Katy. These people are counting on families to be naive and it makes us sitting ducks.'' Informal Interventions In addition to her duties as spokesperson, Courtney meets informally with teens and young adults going through the grooming process or trafficking. ``A parent will reach out to Childproof America and we talk for about an hour on what they have found and are going through,'' explains Kelly. ``Then Courtney is filled in and if the youth is willing, she will sit down with them and can help in key activities.'' These meetings are very effective. Since becoming the Childproof America spokesperson this past August Courtney has spoken to about 10 students, 3 of whom were boys. Currently, Courtney and Kelly say that these sessions are seen as being 100 percent successful in getting these young people out of a harmful and dangerous situation. However, they stress that these cases will be followed up on. ``You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped,'' says Courtney. Katy-Based Childproof America Averages 2-3 Calls a Week Since Childproof America is Katy-based and many in Katy know the Litvak's story about 80 percent of their calls come from Katy residents. They average 2-3 calls a week but it comes in waves. Recently Childproof America worked with the Children's Assessment Center to host a Childproof America emergency safety seminar when calls reached a sudden increase. ``We started receiving so many calls that we felt something was going on,'' says Kelly. This is Not the Student's Fault ``I wish someone would have looked at me and said I get it,'' says Courtney. ``I wanted to be validated and heard, just listened to. We need to do better at recognizing these groups and knowing this doesn't happen over night and this is not the person's fault.'' When Courtney was trafficked, the city of Katy and Houston community accepted that she chose this.``That is not true,'' says Courtney. Master Manipulators Courtney describes the people involved with human trafficking as master manipulators. ``Everything is in their control,'' explains Courtney. ``All of your decisions are theirs. You're a commodity, a property.'' According to the University of Texas, more than 79,000 children are being trafficked for sex in Texas alone. ``I've never seen so much coverage especially on social media,'' says Courtney. ``It's really a combination of more awareness being brought to it and such organizations are growing. It (human trafficking) is continuing to get more sophisticated and growing.'' Interest from the White House A major initiative launched by Childproof America is the education and outreach initiatives, specifically Family Guides, which is exclusive to their group. Family Guides is inspired by parents of victims and is designed to meet the need of families in crisis. During a time of stress and fear, families need a trained advocate who knows how to navigate the issue quickly to help. Families with minor children and 18+ are matched with a compassionate advocate who can assist with critical questions in a quick and effective fashion. It's this program that has really piqued the interest of officials in our nation's capital. Success in D.C. Just before Thanksgiving, Courtney and her mother were invited to meet with lvanka Trump, advisor to the President. In that meeting, they discussed how the current administration could help fight against human trafficking. ``Ivanka was amazing and a champion for this cause,'' says Kelly. ``We were prepared to present our mission in a short time.'' The Litvaks say that lvanka was interested and has followed up since their initial meeting. ``We're going back to D.C. in January,'' says Kelly. ``We developed a true trust and lvanka's administration has asked up for our opinions on top leaders on this topic.'' Putting Everything into Perspective ``What we're doing really didn't sink in until I was there (meeting Ivanka),'' says Courtney. ``It was really emotional, which is hard for me to be vulnerable. Our trip to D.C. put everything into perspective. I'm repurposing the pain and it's the beginning of something great.'' ``There are so many areas where people are suffering,'' says Courtney. ``No matter where the suffering is, I hope to help and use my platform to establish relationships with leaders to get the ball rolling.'' Passion for other Areas Courtney is passionate with other areas of service that she hopes one day to be able to work with her connections to make a difference. ``I'd love to help the homeless,'' says Courtney. ``Growing up in Katy I could never wrap my head around it. I've seen the gap and want to help.'' Local Schools Need to Open Doors to Expert Training Childproof America is working with local schools and groups to help spread their education initiative and educate people on this difficult subject. ``We have been talking to Fort Bend ISD and now they are organizing a massive training for everyone from students, parents, and teachers,'' says Kelly. ``Every school district needs to swing open their doors to experts to train people on this subject. Schools need to get over the mindset that if they have training, people will think that they are having a problem. We need to empower the community.'' Faith Brought Her Back Courtney credits her faith in God for giving her the strength to stop putting harmful substances in her body and to breakthrough the brain washing to get help and leave that lifestyle. ``I'm not the first person this has happened to and I won't be the last,'' says Courtney. ``I always want to continue to be very raw and very genuine on this subject. I'm not putting a time stamp on my service. I will always put my full heart into it but what that will look like I don't know.'' Human Trafficking is in Katy and Doesn't Discriminate It is important to note that human trafficking doesn't discriminate. It can happen to anyone, and according to Childproof America, this activity is happening in Katy and Katy schools, like it's happening all over. ``I always want to acknowledge that everyone who's been through this does not need to talk or help others,'' says Courtney. ``It is extremely difficult and it's a lifelong recovery.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.