U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today applauded the committee’s passage of his bipartisan legislation to combat human trafficking, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act (S. 1532), and the Combatting Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act (S. 1536), of which he’s a cosponsor. They now head to the Senate floor for consideration.
“We must take action to combat the deplorable act of human trafficking in the United States,” said Thune. “The two bipartisan bills that passed the Commerce Committee today represent an important step toward achieving that goal, and the sooner they get to the president’s desk, the sooner we can send a strong message to anyone who might consider engaging in this horrendous criminal activity.”
The No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act would disqualify individuals from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for their lifetime if they used a CMV to commit a felony involving human trafficking. The Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act would focus on the prevention of human trafficking by designating a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the U.S. Department of Transportation and would increase outreach, education, and reporting efforts at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Thune introduced S. 1532 last month with Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), ranking member of the Commerce Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a member of the Commerce Committee, and cosponsored S. 1536, which was also introduced last month. The committee held a hearing on July 12 to explore the role that transportation providers play in combating human trafficking.
S. 1532 is supported by the National District Attorneys Association, Humanity United Action, the South Dakota Trucking Association, Schneider, UPS, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the National Retail Federation.
