Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention
and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022
On July 26, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6552, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022, in a vote of 401 to 20.
H.R. 6552 would do several things to combat the scourge of human trafficking, including:
• Reauthorize various programs under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 through Fiscal Year 2026 (which lapsed September 30, 2021), with more than $1.1 billion in funding;
• Reauthorize the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking through Fiscal Year 2031;
• Authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a Human Trafficking Survivors Employment and Education Program to prevent the re-exploitation of eligible individuals with services that help them to attain life skills, employment, and education necessary to achieve self-sufficiency;
• Authorize grants for programs that prevent and detect trafficking of school-age children in a “linguistically accessible, culturally responsive, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed fashion”; and
• Require the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to encourage integration of activities to counter human trafficking into broader programs.
More than three months have passed, and the Senate has so far failed to act on this bipartisan bill. You can learn more about the bill and where it is in the process at this website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6552.
In a recent letter written by Bishop Mario Dorsonville, chairman of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Committee on Migration, along with other Catholic leaders from Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Health Association of the United States, he states, “this legislation is critical for continuing and bolstering our nation’s efforts to eradicate human trafficking and assist human trafficking survivors.”
He goes on to say, “We are grateful for Congress’ longstanding, bipartisan commitment to combatting human trafficking, both in the United States and abroad. We urge you to further that commitment by supporting H.R. 6552 and getting it passed before the end of the 117th Congress.”
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Life, Justice and Peace is also asking us to encourage our senators to move this bill forward. You can do this easily at the USCCB action alert center: www.votervoice.net/USCCB/Campaigns/98382/Respond.
Stand with survivors of human trafficking by completing
this action alert in support of H.R. 6552!
St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us!
~St. Luke Life, Justice and Peace Ministry
