1. Short title; table of contents
Short title— This Act may be cited as the “End Trafficking Act of 2014”.
End Trafficking Act of 2014
A BILL
To provide justice for the victims of trafficking, to stop exploitation through trafficking, and to amend title 18, United States Code, by providing a penalty for knowingly selling advertising that offers certain commercial sex acts.
2. Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
3. Findings
Congress finds the following:
Recent studies indicate that thousands of children and youth are at risk for human trafficking in the United States.
A significant percentage of children and youth who are trafficked in the United States will commit prostitution offenses or other nonviolent offenses in connection with their exploitation by a trafficker.
The prostitution statutes in many jurisdictions do not differentiate between adult prostitutes and children or youths who have been commercially sexually exploited.
Evidence suggests that runaway or homeless children and youth and young adults leaving the foster care system are especially vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation.
The majority of children and youths who are involved in the criminal or justice systems are responsive to interventions that integrate treatment, rehabilitation, and support services.
Collaborative programs between services providers and criminal or juvenile justice systems that ensure the provision of counseling, housing and related services for trafficking victims can reduce the number of such individuals in corrections facilities.
4. Purpose
In general— The purpose of this Act is to combat domestic human trafficking by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice system, juvenile justice system, and support services.
Collaboration— The collaboration described in subsection (a) is needed—
to protect public safety by intervening with juvenile offenders who have been trafficked;
to provide courts, including new trafficking victims’ courts, with appropriate treatment options;
to maximize the use of alternatives to prosecution in appropriate cases involving youths who have committed nonviolent offenses, such as prostitution, in connection with their exploitation by a trafficker;
to promote adequate training for criminal justice system personnel about the unique challenges facing juveniles who have been trafficked and the appropriate response to such children and youths in the criminal justice system;
to promote communication among adult or juvenile justice personnel, medical personnel, mental health treatment personnel, and support services such as housing, job placement, community, faith based, and crime victims organizations; and
to promote communication and collaboration among governmental officials with respect to all forms of human trafficking in the United States.