Southern Wisconsin Times

Congressman Bryan Steil and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean have introduced the Exposing the Financing of Human Trafficking Act (H.R. 8185) aimed at combatting the illicit financing of human trafficking. Steil emphasized the importance of international cooperation in fighting human trafficking, stating, “My bill takes an important step to combat this crisis by ensuring our international partners do their part in our global fight against human trafficking.” Dean echoed the sentiment, highlighting the need to address the financial aspect of human trafficking, stating, “We must fight this crime from every possible angle – which is exactly what this bill does by ensuring that those financially involved in human trafficking are investigated as well.”

The legislation seeks to hold foreign countries accountable for their efforts to investigate, prevent, and prosecute financial criminal activities associated with human trafficking. The bill requires the existing Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report to assess foreign countries' endeavors to combat financial criminal activities linked to human trafficking, in addition to the existing criteria used for evaluation.

The current TIP report issued by the Department of State categorizes countries into tiers based on their compliance with the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking, which then influences aid allocation. However, the report does not currently include assessments of efforts to disrupt illicit finance related to human trafficking. The Exposing the Financing of Human Trafficking Act aims to address this gap by incorporating evaluations of financial criminal activities into the TIP report.

Steil and Dean had previously introduced this legislation in 2019, emphasizing its significance in combating human trafficking. Steil had also testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the importance of prioritizing efforts to address human trafficking. The bipartisan nature of the bill underscores the united front in the fight against human trafficking, with both representatives committed to advancing this crucial legislation.

For further details on the Exposing the Financing of Human Trafficking Act (H.R. 8185), interested individuals can access the full text of the bill by clicking on the provided link.