Press Releases
Reps. Waltz & Deutch Introduce Bill to Study Prevalence of Human Trafficking at Strip Clubs
Washington,
June 22, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Congressmen Mike Waltz (R-FL-6) and Ted Deutch (D-FL-22) introduced the Study To Observe and Prevent (STOP) Human Trafficking Act of 2021 with a bipartisan group of 16 lawmakers. This bill would direct the U.S. Attorney General to conduct a study on the prevalence and instances of human trafficking at adult entertainment clubs and to report those findings to Congress. “Strip clubs are known to be high-risk locations for human trafficking. Unfortunately, the federal government lacks the data necessary to fully understand the scope of this problem at these venues.” said Rep. Waltz. “We have an obligation to ensure young workers at these clubs are protected from any and all forms of trafficking and exploitation. This study is critical to providing Congress with the data we need to modernize our laws and prevent human trafficking in our country.” "Human trafficking is a scourge on our society that often goes undetected, particularly at adult entertainment clubs," said Rep. Deutch. "There's no question that we can and must do more to combat human trafficking in our communities and protect these vulnerable people. This bipartisan bill will go far to help the Justice Department better understand human trafficking at strip clubs and what must be done to end it." The STOP Human Trafficking Act of 2021 will require the Attorney General to conduct a study, in coordination with the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and relevant human trafficking organizations, regarding human trafficking at adult entertainment clubs. Specifically, this study will examine how victims were trafficked, the demographics of victims, the victims’ relationship to the establishment, and the methods used by traffickers. The Attorney General will have 15 months to complete the study and submit the findings to Congress. |