{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=389539", "Jaime Herrera Beutler Joins House in Confronting Sex Trafficking with Legislation to Help Vulnerable Youth", "2014-07-25", "2014", "2014-07", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Jaime Herrera Beutler", "H001056", "herrerabeutler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Jaime Herrera Beutler voted with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of her U.S. House colleagues to pass eight bills aimed at assisting victims of sex trafficking and increasing protections for vulnerable individuals this week.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Jaime Herrera Beutler voted with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of her U.S. House colleagues to pass eight bills aimed at assisting victims of sex trafficking and increasing protections for vulnerable individuals this week. \u00a0These bills complement the package of bills passed by the House in May to strengthen laws and penalties for purchasers of commercial child sex. \nWith stories of trafficking in or just outside of Southwest Washington coming forth with startling regularity, Jaime has taken a lead role in Congress to combat the problem.\u00a0 She was a cosponsor of all eight bills passed by the U.S. House in the last three days.\u00a0 Five of these bills would equip professionals with training and provide resources to victims of trafficking \u2013 specifically runaway and foster youth. Three bills are aimed at stemming international trafficking.\nFACTS: \u00a0\n\u00b7 One out of every seven runaways in the United States becomes a victim of trafficking. \n\u00b7 In 2013, 60% of the trafficking victims recovered nationwide were from foster care or group homes, according to The National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges.\n\u00b7There are only 267 emergency bed spaces for trafficking victims in the U.S. \u00a0\n\u201cFoster care and runaway youth are some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and I cannot stand by while they are treated as prey,\u201d said Jaime. \u201cThe bills we passed give the professionals who are entrusted with caring for these kids the resources and training they need to better identify when a child has become a victim and to help give them appropriate care. We also begin to address the need for emergency housing for those children who have been successfully removed from trafficking. As we continue to fight to stop this crime, we also need to help former victims regain structure and normalcy in their lives.\u201d\n\u201cOne of the greatest needs we have once we get trafficking victims away from their exploiters is safe housing,\u201d said Kay Vail, Probation Counselor, Clark County. \u00a0\u201cThese kids often need to be removed from their environment and have a safe place to go receive restorative care.\u00a0The Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act\u00a0makes existing grants available for housing for victims of trafficking, which is a big need here in Clark County.\u00a0 There are new adult facilities, but, because of licensing, there aren\u2019t as many for youth.\u00a0 There is only one I know of in the state of Washington.\u201d\u00a0\n\u201cI applaud Jaime for supporting these bills.\u00a0 The vulnerable youth or \u2018street\u2019 kids who are often runaways and state dependents are preyed upon by men and women who exploit their weaknesses, drug addictions and lack of caring family figures in their lives, to name just a few,\u201d said \u00a0Detective Jason Mills, Vancouver Police Department. \u00a0\u201cThe bottom line is that we need to find a way to keep the vulnerable youth in the foster care system and ensure their success.\u201d \nLegislation passed this week:\nH.R. 5135, The Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Allows existing Department of Justice grants to be used for emergency housing for trafficking victims.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Uses a three part approach of prevention, integrated law enforcement and strengthened resources.\nH.R. 5081, Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ensures every state has updated child welfare policies and trains child welfare workers to better identify and assess child victims of trafficking. \nH.R. 5076, Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Allows the Department of Health and Human Services to use street outreach programs to identify and help homeless youth and move them off the streets. \nH.R. 4980, Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act \n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Empowers and promotes normalcy for foster youth, transitioning more children from foster care into adoptive homes or the homes of relatives more expeditiously. \nH.R. 5111, To improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Changes the language used in the reporting categories of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children\u2019s from the term \u201cchild prostitute\u201d to \u201cchild sex trafficking\u201d to ensure children are treated as victims and not criminals.\nH.R. 2283, Human Trafficking Prioritization Act \u00a0\u00a0\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Elevates the status of the Department of State\u2019s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons from and office to a bureau and puts pressure on other countries to combat sex trafficking.\nH.R. 4449 Human Trafficking Prevention Act\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Requires training for federal personnel who come into contact with trafficking. \nH.R. 5116 Human Trafficking Detection Act\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Directs training for the Department of Homeland Security personnel to effectively deter, detect, disrupt, and prevent human trafficking. \n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=389539"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.17495097219944, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}