Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to establish a special advisory council to crack down on human trafficking and help rehabilitate victims and survivors cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
The Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council would be comprised of eight to 14 representatives of nongovernment organizations and nonprofits under the bill. Members would be tasked with providing recommendations and input to shape federal policies on human trafficking.
“Nongovernmental organizations and nonprofit groups like Utah’s Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) have done incredible work in fighting the scourge of human trafficking and bringing this critical fight to the forefront,” Hatch, the senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said. “I believe that with better cooperation and partnership with federal government agencies, they can do even more, and the key to that is coordination. This Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council will allow government agencies to draw from the unique knowledge and experience of groups like OUR, allowing us to leverage government resources to fight human trafficking around the world.”
Under the bill, the advisory council would assess government policies and programs on human trafficking to help ensure that victim rehabilitation and aftercare efforts are aligned with best practices. The advisory council would report to congressional committees with recommendations and action items, and it would sunset in 2020.
“I am grateful for Sen. Hatch’s leadership on this very important bill,” Tim Ballard, the founder and CEO of OUR, said. “Human trafficking is a critical issue, and to more efficiently eradicate the problem, nonprofit groups need increased coordination with the federal government. This bill establishes a way to share successful anti-human trafficking strategies between federal agencies and organizations like Operation Underground Railroad.”