WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), along with Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), introduced the Supporting Transportation Operations that Prevent (STOP) Human Trafficking Act. This legislation would improve the detection and prevention of human trafficking in our transportation sectors by authorizing recommendations made by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Advisory Committee, including promoting research, public awareness campaigns, education efforts, staff training, and support services for survivors.

“Human trafficking is modern-day slavery that exploits women, children, and innocent individuals for profit in the most degrading and dehumanizing way possible,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By utilizing guidance from experts across the transportation industry, we can help identify and stop these egregious crimes, and I look forward to implementing their recommendations and evidence-backed solutions through this legislation.” 

Background:

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit a person for some type of labor or commercial sex act. In the United States, thousands of cases of human trafficking are reported every year. Given the hidden nature of these crimes, statistics on the number of victims and survivors are difficult to corroborate and often higher than what’s identified, but Texas consistently ranks one of the leading states in the nation for number of reported sex trafficking cases. In 2024, the Human Trafficking Hotline reported more than 2,400 victims were involved in the trafficking cases identified in Texas.

To combat this threat in Texas and across the country, this legislation would authorize recommendations made by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking in their report on “Preventing and Addressing Human Trafficking in the Transportation Sector.”

The transportation sector serves as a critical connector that can both facilitate and prevent human trafficking. As such, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) currently convenes an advisory committee on the issue, has supported model-by-model efforts, and coordinates on interagency efforts with entities including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Department of State. Through additional support services, enhanced training, awareness campaigns, and strengthened partnerships, the transportation sector can significantly improve our ability to detect and prevent human trafficking activities.

The STOP Human Trafficking Act would:

• Promote counter-trafficking research and public-private information sharing;
• Establish an ongoing public awareness campaign based on evidence-backed models; and
• Authorize $10 million annually for USDOT human trafficking prevention grants to improve education and prevention efforts, train staff to identify signs of trafficking, and support survivors.