A RESOLUTION

 

1Recognizing January 11, 2013, as "National Human Trafficking
2Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania.

3The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4hereby enacts as follows:

5WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has a tradition of advancing
6fundamental human rights; and

7WHEREAS, It is imperative to eliminate human trafficking,
8including early or forced marriage, commercial sexual
9exploitation, forced labor, labor obtained through debt bondage,
10involuntary servitude, slavery and slavery by descent; and

11WHEREAS, To combat human trafficking in this Commonwealth and
12globally, the people of Pennsylvania and State and local
13governments must be aware of the realities of human trafficking
14and must be dedicated to stopping this contemporary

1manifestation of slavery; and

2WHEREAS, Efforts shall be made to actively oppose all
3individuals, groups, organizations and nations who support,
4advance or commit acts of human trafficking and to work to end
5human trafficking around the world through education; and

6WHEREAS, Victims of human trafficking need support in order
7to escape and to recover from the physical, mental, emotional
8and spiritual trauma associated with their victimization; and

9WHEREAS, Human traffickers use many physical and
10psychological techniques to control their victims, including the
11use of violence or threats of violence against the victim or the
12victim's family, isolation from the public, isolation from the
13victim's family and religious or ethnic communities, language
14and cultural barriers, shame, control of the victim's
15possessions, confiscation of passports and other identification
16documents and threats of arrest, deportation or imprisonment if
17the victim attempts to reach out for assistance or to leave; and

18WHEREAS, Although laws to prosecute perpetrators of human
19trafficking and to assist and protect victims of human
20trafficking have been enacted in the United States, awareness of
21the issues surrounding human trafficking by those people most
22likely to come into contact with victims is essential for
23effective enforcement because the techniques that traffickers
24use to keep their victims enslaved severely limit self-
25reporting; and

26WHEREAS, The effort by individuals, businesses, organizations
27and governing bodies to promote the observance of "National
28Human Trafficking Awareness Day" on January 11 of each year
29represents one of the many examples of the ongoing commitment to
30raise awareness of and to actively oppose human trafficking;

1therefore be it

2RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the goals
3and ideals of observing "National Human Trafficking Awareness
4Day" on January 11, 2013, and all other efforts to raise
5awareness of and opposition to human trafficking; and be it
6further

7RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize January
811, 2013, as "National Human Trafficking Awareness Day" in
9Pennsylvania.