Bill Text: TX HR114 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizing January 2023 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-07 - No action taken in committee [HR114 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR114-Introduced.html
| 88R10138 BK-D | ||
| By: Stucky | H.R. No. 114 | |
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| WHEREAS, Human trafficking is an insidious crime that | ||
| exploits the most vulnerable members of society, robbing victims of | ||
| their freedom and dignity and weakening the very foundation of our | ||
| communities; and | ||
| WHEREAS, As defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act | ||
| of 2000, human trafficking primarily occurs in the form of sex or | ||
| labor trafficking, which may be compelled through the use of force, | ||
| threats, deception, or other means of coercion; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Although anyone can fall victim to this crime, | ||
| certain populations are at higher risk due to a lack of prevention | ||
| and services, including boys and young men, people who have been | ||
| affected by sexual violence or prior abuse, people experiencing | ||
| poverty, homelessness, or unstable living conditions, and | ||
| individuals who are systemically marginalized and underserved; | ||
| victims can be trafficked in person and online, in industries such | ||
| as food service and construction, and by both strangers and people | ||
| they know, including intimate partners, parents, and other family | ||
| members; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The keys to preventing human trafficking include | ||
| raising awareness and building resilience within our communities, | ||
| reducing social inequities, and addressing the social determinants | ||
| of health in underserved populations; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Human trafficking requires a coordinated, | ||
| community-wide response, and one of the organizations working to | ||
| serve human trafficking victims in North Texas is Bob's House of | ||
| Hope in Argyle, which was founded by Robert "Bob" Williams in 2021; | ||
| Bob's House of Hope is the first safe house in the country dedicated | ||
| to adult male survivors of sex trafficking, and it endeavors to | ||
| provide person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally and | ||
| linguistically appropriate care, along with other resources to help | ||
| these victims attain education and employment and rebuild their | ||
| lives; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Human trafficking is a violation of the fundamental | ||
| rights that are owed to every man, woman, and child, and the | ||
| observance of Human Trafficking Prevention Month calls on all of us | ||
| to affirm our commitment to preventing and responding to human | ||
| trafficking in our communities and to ensuring the safety, | ||
| security, and well-being of human trafficking survivors; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby recognize January 2023 as Human Trafficking | ||
| Prevention Month and encourage all Texans to learn more about human | ||
| trafficking and the ways they can help the victims of this terrible | ||
| crime. | ||
