Reps. Cohen, Kinzinger, Cárdenas and Wagner Introduce Bipartisan Human Trafficking Bill

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) today introduced the Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act. This bipartisan legislation would provide health care professionals at all levels training on how to identify and appropriately treat human trafficking victims. It is a companion to a Senate bill also introduced today by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Susan Collins (R-ME). January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

"Human trafficking is a hidden crime that impacts hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S., and many of these victims end up in a health care setting while being exploited," said Congressman Cohen. "Our bill aims to ensure health care professionals are trained to identify victims of human trafficking and provide them with critical, victim-centered health care. Our bill also enables health care providers to implement protocols and procedures to work with victims, service organizations, and law enforcement so that victims can get proper support and perpetrators of human trafficking are brought to justice. I would like to thank Reps. Kinzinger, Cárdenas and Wagner for joining me in introducing this bill in the House and Senators Heitkamp and Collins for introducing this bill in the Senate as we recognize National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month."

"It's critical that healthcare providers are trained to recognize human trafficking cases and have the proper procedures in place to help those most vulnerable," said Congressman Kinzinger. "I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of the SOAR Act, which I believe will have a significant impact towards identifying cases of human trafficking and helping assist more individuals across the country from falling victim to this heinous crime."

"In the last decade, Los Angeles has become one of the top three hubs for human trafficking," said Rep. Cardenas. "While we're making strides in dismantling this industry, we must do more. Ensuring that health professionals are able to address and recognize human trafficking is crucial in our fight. This legislation will help meet that goal, and I'm proud to join my colleagues in this effort."

"Education and awareness are critical in the fight to end human trafficking. That is why I spent time with both trafficking survivors and healthcare providers in St. Louis this fall to discuss how they can better identify trafficking victims. The SOAR Act will provide healthcare providers on all levels with the appropriate training and tools necessary to identify and report potential cases of human trafficking,"said Congresswoman Wagner. "With tens of thousands of victims being trafficked in the United States each year, I am happy to work with my colleagues across the aisle to introduce and quickly pass this legislation."

"This month when I spoke with a mother whose young daughter was terrorized on a near daily basis after being trafficked for sex, I asked her what she thought needed to change going forward. Her answer was simple – health care professionals need the training and the tools to recognize and protect victims of sex trafficking, especially children like her daughter," said Senator Heitkamp. "Today, Senator Collins and I are reintroducing our bipartisan bill to make sure health providers – sometimes some of the only people victims interact without their trafficker in the room – can identify and get help for victims of sex trafficking. Our nation recognizes Human Trafficking Awareness this month – and by training health professionals to spot potential victims – we can expand awareness in the medical community so they are prepared to intervene and have a clear process on handling the situation. By building on the success of pilot training programs of about 60 doctors, nurses and others in Williston and New Town, we can strengthen our community and nationwide network that unmasks and effectively combats human trafficking, protects victims, and prevents these crimes from proliferating in our towns."

"Every state in America is affected by the evils of sex trafficking. Human traffickers prey upon the most vulnerable, often homeless or runaway children. Identification is the first, and frequently missed, step in helping victims and stopping these atrocities,"said Senator Collins."This bipartisan legislation would bolster the current success of the U.S. Health and Human Services pilot program by expanding it and greatly increasing the number of our health care providers who will have the training to protect victims and expose these heinous crimes."

The Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a pilot program to combat human trafficking to be known as ‘Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond to Health and Wellness Training.' While human trafficking victims are often difficult to identify, a reported 68 percent of trafficking victims end up in a health care setting at some point while being exploited, including in clinics, emergency rooms and doctor's offices. Despite this, out of more than 5,680 hospitals in the country, only 60 have been identified as having a plan for treating patients who are victims of trafficking and 95 percent of emergency room personnel are not trained to treat trafficking victims. The SOAR Act will help close the gap in health care settings without plans for treating human trafficking victims.