The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 21 overwhelmingly passed U.S. Rep. John Katko’s (R-NY) bipartisan legislation to ban human trafficking by persons operating a commercial motor vehicle, and the bill now heads to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
The bipartisan, bicameral No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, H.R. 3814, authorizes the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to place a lifetime ban on operating a commercial motor vehicle for any person using such a vehicle to commit a felony involving human trafficking, according to the bill’s summary.
A similar ban is in place for drug trafficking, according to Katko’s office.
“As a former organized crime prosecutor on both the northern border and on the southern border, I’ve seen firsthand the horrors of human trafficking,” Katko said on the House floor before the legislation’s passage. “Too often, human traffickers take advantage of our nation’s transportation network to transport their victims from one location to the next.”
The congressman, who serves as the chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security, also pointed out that DOT and the transportation industry play a critical role in prevention.
“I want to commend the trucking industry for their commitment in training drivers to identify instances of human trafficking through organizations like Truckers Against Trafficking, or TAT,” said Katko, adding that America’s truckers many times aid law enforcement in finding victims “who otherwise might go unseen.”
Nevertheless, he added, there are those few individuals who have taken advantage of their job positions to illegally traffic people.
“While the vast majority of our nation’s truck drivers are hardworking, honest men and women, our bill is necessary to ensure that the select few who commit these crimes are brought to justice,” said Katko, who introduced H.R. 3814 on Sept. 21 with Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) as an original cosponsor.
Rep. Katko’s measure is the House version of S. 1532, introduced on July 12 by U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and passed by the Senate on Sept. 14. The House passed the identical bills on a 393-0 vote.
In addition to S. 1532, the House also has passed two other trucking-related Senate bills. House lawmakers on Dec. 19 passed the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, S. 1536, which would designate a federal-level human trafficking prevention coordinator, among other provisions. In addition, on Dec. 21 passed the Jobs for Our Heroes Act, S. 1393, which would streamline the process for getting a commercial driver’s license for active duty military, reservists and veterans.
All three bills previously passed the Senate by unanimous consent. With passage by the House, the bills now will be sent to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.