Zonta International is a global organization of individuals dedicated to building a better world for women and girls. The Zonta USA Advocacy Action Center is a tool for our members in the United States and other individuals who share our commitment to gender equality to take action to improve the lives of women and girls. With your help, we can make a difference. In addition to the actions below, click here to support our joint efforts with UNICEF USA to end child marriage in the United States.
In 2020, the Polaris Project found that there were at least 16,658 sex trafficking victims and survivors in the U.S. However, the actual number of these crimes may be much larger because they often go unreported.
The bipartisan and bicameral IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act (S. 670 and H.R. 1405) will enhance the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to combat human trafficking, allowing survivors of human trafficking to receive improved support and providing law enforcement with more resources to combat these crimes.
Specifically, the legislation will:
- Expand and make permanent the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Victim Assistance Program that helps provide support to individuals impacted by human trafficking.
- Provide increased outreach and training for victim assistance specialists, forensic interviewers, task force officers, and other partners exposed to trauma while investigating human trafficking
- Improve and make permanent the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma (IMPACTT) program, which ensures the well-being of HSI dealing with the stress and trauma associated with working directly with victims of human trafficking.
- Ensure that victims are provided with referrals for support services throughout the investigative and prosecutorial process.
“Supporting survivors of human trafficking should be our highest priority when investigating these horrific crimes, and that includes making sure they have specially trained staff alongside them as they seek justice,” said John Cornyn (R-TX), a co-sponsor of S. 670.
Please use our pre-drafted letters to urge your senators and representative to co-sponsor and support S. 670 and H.R. 1405. If they have already sponsored or co-sponsored the bill, you can send a message of thanks.