Rep. Meijer human trafficking legislation signed into law

U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) applauded this week the passage of his legislation, the DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act (H.R. 2795), which increases human trafficking indicators awareness.

Additionally, the legislation, included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, prevents cases from being overlooked by law enforcement and the public while serving as his first bill to become law.

“The DHS Blue Campaign Enhancement Act will strengthen law enforcement and the public’s ability to recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking,” Meijer noted via a statement. “These heinous crimes are vastly underreported and improving our ability to spot the signs will save lives. We must utilize every tool available to put an end to human trafficking. This legislation is a critical step towards that goal, and I am proud that it is now the law of the land.”

The law provisions require the Director of the Blue Campaign to develop web-based interactive training videos and provide online training opportunities for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers.

The law also establishes a Blue Campaign Advisory Board within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regularly consult with the DHS Director regarding the development of effective awareness tools for distribution to industry partners to aid in identifying and preventing
human trafficking.

Glenn Spencer, senior vice president of the Employment Policy Division, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said human trafficking is a serious global problem that impedes economic growth.

“This legislation would provide critical additional resources to the DHS Blue Campaign for web-based training of law enforcement and correction personnel, as well as establish an Advisory Board focused on the importance of public-private partnerships in combating this heinous criminal activity,” he said.