U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) recently introduced legislation that seeks to educate students and teachers regarding human trafficking.
The Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Training Act would establish a grant program within the Office of Trafficking in Persons under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide training for students, teachers, and other school personnel on human trafficking warning signs.
The bill stipulates authorizing $75 million for the program over five years and has been endorsed by The Foundation United based in Sarasota, Florida.
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery,” Buchanan said. “We need to prioritize educating students and teachers about the horrors of this monstrous crime. This is critical to helping current victims and preventing future instances of trafficking, which is especially important in hotspots like Florida. I look forward to working with Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz to help spread awareness and protect our most vulnerable.”
The grants would be issued to nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated expertise in creating and teaching human trafficking and exploitation prevention curricula while prioritizing funding for nonprofits serving geographic areas with the highest prevalence of human trafficking.
Wasserman Schultz said schools should be at the center of the strategy to protect young people from human trafficking.
“In addition to identifying and providing critical services to at-risk youth, they play a crucial role in educating all of us, children and adults, on key warning signs, so we are equipped to prevent abductions and abuse,” she said. “Our education system is one of our greatest strengths, and we must take advantage by providing our schools with the resources to support children who might otherwise fall victim to trafficking.”