President Joe Biden on Dec. 27 signed into law the newest defense authorization legislation, which contains a bipartisan bill offered by U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) to raise awareness and prevention of human trafficking.
“We must utilize every tool available to put an end to human trafficking,” said Rep. Meijer on Jan. 3. “This legislation is a critical step towards that goal, and I am proud that it is now the law of the land.”
Specifically, the newly signed law, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, includes the DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act, H.R. 2795, which Rep. Meijer sponsored in April with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA). U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) in October introduced the related bill, S. 2989, in their chamber.
As part of the larger law, Rep. Meijer’s bill will require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand its Blue Campaign, which coordinates the department’s actions to identify and prevent human trafficking. Under the new law, DHS is required to provide web-based training for law enforcement and corrections personnel, and to establish an advisory board for the campaign, according to the bill’s text.
“The DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act will strengthen law enforcement and the public’s ability to recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking,” Rep. Meijer said. “These heinous crimes are vastly underreported and improving our ability to spot the signs will save lives.”
The congressman’s bill requires that a Blue Campaign Advisory Board be established within DHS to consult regularly with the Blue Campaign director on developing effective awareness tools for distribution to industry partners that will help them identify and prevent instances of human trafficking. The advisory board will include representatives from at least four separate DHS components and offices, as well as the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Privacy Office of the department, according to a summary provided by Rep. Meijer’s staff.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, SEE: Solutions to End Exploitation, the Kent County Area Human Trafficking Coalition, and Life Support Counseling and Coaching endorsed the measure.
“Improving access to online resources for local law enforcement is crucial to expanding our efforts to protect vulnerable individuals and prevent these terrible crimes,” said Robert Stevenson, executive director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.