Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic path through northwest Florida, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from Citrus County. Senator Rubio also met with small business owners impacted by the storm. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with first responders, local officials, and volunteers in Pasco County. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio meets with the Pasco County Sheriff Chris...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with Cedar Key residents and homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Rubio then met with members of the aquaculture industry to discuss the impact multiple hurricanes have had on the industry. Photos are courtesy of...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) visited the Taylor County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and Keaton Beach, an area highly impacted by Hurricane Helene. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio meets with Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett....
After making landfall as a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for Floridia’s farmers to receive the necessary resources for recovery. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host a two day in-person event to assist constituents affected by Hurricane Helene and help navigate applications for FEMA assistance. Food, water, and additional resources will be available at the events. Event...
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Kay Hagan (D-NC) today introduced The Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Human Trafficking Act, a bill to combat sex and labor trafficking in child welfare systems across the country by providing their employees with tools to identify, document, educate and counsel child victims. A companion bill, HR 1732, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Thomas Marino (R-PA) and Karen Bass (D-CA).
Research suggests that the majority of trafficked youth in the U.S. have been in and out of the child welfare system, specifically foster care. In Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that 70 percent of victims are youth in the foster care system.
“Earlier this year, Congress took an important step to combat human trafficking by reauthorizing landmark legislation, but significant gaps remain regarding human trafficking that targets innocents in our child welfare systems,” said Rubio. “While the vast majority of prospective foster and adoptive parents are well intentioned and eager to love these children, sadly, there are those who seek to exploit our children. For children, adoptions and foster care should be a lifeline to a better future, not a path to hell as trafficking victims.”
“North Carolina consistently ranks among the top 10 states for human trafficking, and sadly, many of the victims are children,” said Hagan. “This bill attacks the issue at its core – helping children who are often most at risk by providing child welfare employees with the tools they need to identify and support victims. I am hopeful that by passing this legislation, we can give more children a shot at the safe and healthy childhood they deserve.”
This legislation also requires states to report to the Department of Health and Human Services the number of trafficking victims in their child welfare systems as well their current procedures and policies to combat this problem. The bill includes sample protocols and recommended strategies in order to identify trafficking victims and allows for the collection, documentation and data sharing in existing statewide automated child welfare information systems.
This bill is supported by the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), Polaris Project and Shared Hope International.