The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee has approved a bill from Congressman Tim Walberg seeking to fight human trafficking.
Walberg says his Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act would equip Department of Labor staff with better tools to spot human trafficking and help stop exploitation. He says human trafficking is a real problem that exists even in Michigan.
“The National Human Trafficking Hotline has released data identifying 254 cases of human trafficking in Michigan in 2023 with 506 victims involved,” Walberg said.
The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act would establish training programs for DOL staff to learn more about human trafficking and how to spot it.
“To ensure that the Department of Labor employees are educated in identifying and reporting suspected cases. Human trafficking is a scourge, and we must all work together to combat it.”
The legislation would also require the Department of Labor to report back to Congress each year on its employee training program and how many cases have been referred to the Justice Department as a result of its detection efforts.
In short, Walberg says the bill “turns DOL employees into an early warning system against human trafficking.”
