Bill Text: NJ SJR44 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates January of each year as "Human Trafficking Prevention Month."
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-18 - Substituted by AJR55 [SJR44 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-SJR44-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BARBARA BUONO
District 18 (Middlesex)
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Designates January of each year as "Human Trafficking Prevention Month."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating January of each year as "Human Trafficking Prevention Month."
Whereas, The United Nations has defined "trafficking in persons" as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability, or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation; and
Whereas, The United Nations has specified that such exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs; and
Whereas, The United Nations' International Labour Organization has estimated that at least 12.3 million adults and children worldwide are currently in forced labor, bonded labor, or forced prostitution; and
Whereas, The U.S. Department of State has estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 women, men, and children are trafficked annually across international borders, that approximately 80 percent of victims are women and girls, and that approximately 50 percent of victims are younger than age 18; and
Whereas, The U.S. Department of State has estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 persons are trafficked annually into the United States; and
Whereas, Human traffickers prey upon impoverished and marginalized victims and exploit them for criminal gain; and
Whereas, Human traffickers use many techniques to instill fear in victims and to keep them enslaved, including use or threat of violence toward the victims or their families, physical captivity, isolation from family members and members of their ethnic and religious community, threat of deportation or imprisonment, confiscation of passports, visas, or other identification documents, debt bondage, and control of the victims' money; and
Whereas, Although the federal government and the State of New Jersey have enacted laws to prosecute human traffickers and protect the victims of human trafficking, traffickers use techniques to keep their victims enslaved that severely limit self-reporting and that require broad public awareness of human trafficking issues for effective enforcement and prevention to occur; and
Whereas, President Obama has proclaimed January 2012 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month to commemorate President Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 and his signing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on February 1, 1865, to recognize the many individuals in the United States and abroad who suffer under the yoke of modern slavery, to recognize ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and assist its victims, and to call upon the people of the United States to recognize their vital role in ending modern slavery; and
Whereas, The people of New Jersey, regardless of political persuasion, creed, race, or national origin, answer President Obama's call to protect the rights to life and liberty bestowed by past generations of Americans, to educate themselves about the signs and consequences of human trafficking, to work to end this terrible injustice in the United States and abroad, and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The month of January of each year shall be designated as "Human Trafficking Prevention Month," to promote ongoing education about the signs and consequences of human trafficking, to recognize and advance efforts to end human trafficking in all of its forms, and to encourage support for the victims of human trafficking throughout the State of New Jersey and across the world.
2. The Governor shall annually issue a proclamation recognizing January as "Human Trafficking Prevention Month" in New Jersey and shall call upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution would designate January of each year as "Human Trafficking Prevention Month" in New Jersey to promote ongoing education about the signs and consequences of human trafficking, to recognize and advance efforts to end human trafficking in all of its forms, and to encourage support for the victims of human trafficking throughout the State of New Jersey and across the world.
Human trafficking involves the coercive recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons for the purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, or other forms of servitude. The United Nations estimates that, worldwide, human traffickers subject at least 12.3 million adults and children to forced labor, bonded labor, or forced prostitution. The U.S. Department of State estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 persons are trafficked annually into the United States and that human trafficking disproportionately affects women and young girls.
Human traffickers use many techniques to instill fear in their victims, to keep them enslaved, and to severely limit their self-reporting. These techniques include violence or threat of violence toward the victims or their families, physical captivity, isolation, threat of deportation or imprisonment, confiscation of identifying documents, debt bondage, and control of victims' money. Broad public awareness of these issues is required for effective enforcement of human trafficking laws and prevention of human trafficking to occur.
