Tillis introduces anti-human trafficking bill to protect victims

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on July 22 signed on as one of the original cosponsors of the bipartisan Protecting Rights of Those Exploited by Coercive Trafficking (PROTECT) Act.

Sen. Tillis introduced S. 2197 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) along with U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) to address the use of drugs to facilitate human trafficking and to protect trafficking victims.

“We should do everything in our power to bring human traffickers to justice, particularly those who use drugs to control their victims,” Sen. Tillis said.

If enacted, S. 2197 would clarify that using drugs or illegal substances to cause a person to engage in a commercial sex act constitutes coercion and using drugs or illegal substances to provide or obtain the labor or services of a person constitutes forced labor, according to the congressional record.

Additionally, S. 2197 includes a provision to protect trafficking victims from prosecution, recognizing that victims are often forced to commit crimes by virtue of their own victimization, according to a one-page summary of the bill from the lawmakers.

“One unfortunate and under-addressed aspect of human trafficking is the use of drugs by traffickers to control and exploit vulnerable populations,” according to the summary. “Data shows that drug use and human trafficking are intrinsically connected, and in the midst of the current opioid epidemic, we are seeing criminals across the country use this connection to their advantage.”

Sen. Tillis added that the bill would “strengthen the penalties for these criminals and help ensure human traffickers are held accountable for their atrocious crimes.”

Numerous law enforcement organizations and victim advocacy groups support S. 2197, including the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Union of Police Associations, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, among several others.

S. 2197 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.