NCJRS - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

This section presents a sample of links to online Federal and State legislation and testimony.

Child Sex Crimes Wiretapping Act of 2003
Introduced to the House of Representatives in 2003 to establish that certain sexual crimes against children are predicate crimes for the interception of communications.

Domestic Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2004
To combat unlawful commercial sex activities by targeting demand, to protect children from being exploited by such activities, to prohibit the operation of sex tours, to assist State and local governments to enforce laws dealing with commercial sex activities, and for other purposes.

Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003
Introduced into the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in 2003 to make the protection of women and children who are affected by a complex humanitarian emergency a priority of the U.S. Government.

Title 18, U.S.C. §§ 1581, 1584 Involuntary Servitude and Peonage
Section 1584 of Title 18 makes it unlawful to hold a person in a condition of slavery, that is, a condition of compulsory service or labor against his/her will. Section 1584 also prohibits compelling a person to work against his/her will by creating a “climate of fear” through the use of force, the threat of force, or the threat of legal coercion which is sufficient to compel service against a person's will. Section 1581 prohibits using force, the threat of force, or the threat of legal coercion to compel a person to work against his/her will. In addition, the victim's involuntary servitude must be tied to the payment of a debt.

Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000
The purpose of this law is to combat trafficking in persons, especially into the sex trade, slavery, and slavery-like conditions in the United States and countries around the world through prevention, prosecution and enforcement against traffickers, and protection and assistance to victims of trafficking.

Violence Against Women Act of 2000
Enacted on October 28, 2000, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) improves legal tools and programs that address domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. VAWA 2000 reauthorizes critical grant programs created by the original Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation, establishes new programs, and strengthens Federal laws.

Combating Human Trafficking: Achieving Zero Tolerance. Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. March 9, 2005.

Read selected testimony—

The Honorable Christopher H. Smith, Rep. Chairman of the Subcommittee

The Honorable John R. Miller, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Linda Smith, Founder and Executive Director, Shared Hope International

The Honorable Shirley E. Barnes, U.S. Ambassador (Retired), President of the Barnes Findley Foundation

Sarah E. Mendelson, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Julianne Duncan, Ph.D., Director of Children's Services, Migration and Refugee Services, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Ms. Beatrice Fernando, Associate, American Anti-Slavery Group

Examining U.S. Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery: An assessment of the United States' recent legal responses to the problem of trafficking in persons on the federal, state and international levels. Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights. July 7, 2004.

Professor Mohamed Mattar, Co-Director, The Protection Project, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. July 13, 2004.

Human Trafficking: Mail Order Bride Abuses

Implementation of DoD Policy With Regard to Trafficking in Humans. Statement before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services. September 21, 2004.

Sarah Mendelson, Senior Fellow, Csis Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Statement before the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on Wellness and Human Rights. June 8, 2004.

Christopher Gersten, Principle Deputy Assistance Secretary, Administration for Children and Families

Statement before the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee and Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. September 21, 2004.

General Leon J. Laporte, Commander, United Nations Command; Commander, Republic of Korea–United States Combined Forces Command; and Commander, United States Forces Korea

Trafficking of Women and Children in East Asia and Beyond: A Review of U.S. Policy. Testimony before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. April 9, 2003.

Donna M. Hughes, Ph.D., Professor and Endowed Chair in Women's Studies, University of Rhode Island

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