{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=45ada26d-29ec-4657-8aeb-e88b6104870b", "Heitkamp Encourages ND Trucker Engagement in Fight against Human Trafficking", "2015-10-24", "2015", "2015-10", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BISMARCK, N.D.  U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today reinforced the need to build a state and nationwide coalition against human trafficking, encouraging truckers across North Dakota to join the fight against these horrific crimes.\r\nTeaming up with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), a national advocacy group which organizes and educates truckers on how to recognize and respond to instances of human trafficking, Heitkamp encouraged truckers in North Dakota to engage in the national effort to combat these crimes. Truckers are often in locations, such as rest stops, where human trafficking is more likely to occur, and as a result, could help reach out to law enforcement when they see potential instances of trafficking. Together with local law enforcement, truckers, motorist leaders, and anti-trafficking advocates at the Bismarck Police Department, Heitkamp toured the Freedom Drivers Project semi  a mobile educational exhibit TAT uses to provide truckers with the information and the tools they need to fight human trafficking and encouraged truckers in North Dakota to take part in the effort.\r\nTruckers are often on the frontlines of coming into contact with human traffickers and their victims, said Heitkamp. Today Im proud to join Truckers Against Trafficking in its mission to educate and motivate truckers across our state to fight back against these horrific crimes, which have infiltrated far too many of our communities  particularly in the wake of North Dakotas energy boom. Thats why building a network to battle against human trafficking has been among my top priorities in the U.S. Senate. To permanently eradicate these crimes, everyone in our communities needs to be active and on-alert  and that means also making sure North Dakota truckers are working to help identify potential crimes and notify law enforcement.\r\nNorth Dakota is a critical player inthe fight against human trafficking. Between the energy boom and the ensuing population explosion, it is imperative that every community member understand the realities of domestic sex trafficking and how to report it, said Kylla Lanier, Deputy Director of Truckers Against Trafficking. TAT is thankful to Senator Heitkamp for her long fought work to stop human trafficking, and is proud to join her, the NDMCA, the ATA, FUSE, and law enforcement agencies throughout the state  like the Bismarck Police Department on this issue, and we are so glad our Freedom Drivers Project can do its part in helping to continue the educational outreach already occurring in this key state.\r\nA longtime advocate and leader in the Senate against human trafficking, Heitkamp has worked to engage and educate all members of North Dakotas communities in the fight against human trafficking. Her efforts have included leading multiple training sessions across North Dakota over the past year with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to train North Dakotans,women leadersin the state, andlaw enforcement and victims service providerson how to identify, report, and investigate incidents of human trafficking. This spring, she introduced bipartisan legislation to build on and expand on the successes of an anti-human trafficking Health and Human Services pilot program in New Town and Williston by providing health care workers across the country with the tools they need to recognize victims and survivors of these crimes to help them get the resources and services they need.\r\nJust this month, Heitkamp brought DHS Blue Campaign Chair Maria Odom  whose agency is dedicated to eradicating human trafficking across the country  across North Dakota to identify with advocates and law enforcement potential areas of partnership to help the state fight these crimes.\r\nBackground:\r\nHeitkamp has been leading the charge to combat and raise awareness about human trafficking in North Dakota and across the nation by:\r\n\r\n \r\nPassing Strong Bipartisan Legislation to Fight Against Human Trafficking: Heitkamp helped introduce, and played an integral role in passing in the Senates bipartisan Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking Act which the President signed into law in April. Working with Republican Senator Susan Collins, Heitkamp helped reignite the politically stalled legislation by offering a bipartisan, compromise path forward. The final bill provides greater assistance to victims of human trafficking, increased resources to law enforcement and victims services organizations, and secures greater punishments for perpetrators of these horrific crimes. The package also contains provisions Heitkamp fought for and won  including stricter punishments against traffickers who transport victims across state lines, and legal protections from her Safe Harbor bill with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to make sure victims are not treated as criminals.\r\nWorking on Bipartisan Solutions to Engage Health Care Providers: This spring, Heitkamp and Collins introduced bipartisan legislation to give health care providers  including doctors, nurses, and social workers  training to help identify and protect victims of human trafficking. Heitkamp and Collins Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act would build on Williston and New Town pilot programs to give health providers nationwide needed training on how to recognize, report, and potentially intervene when they see patients who are possible human trafficking victims. Recent studies suggest that nearly one-third of women trafficked in America saw a health care professional while they were still captive to these crimes.\r\nAdvocating for Protections for Young People at Risk: Heitkamp has been a strong advocate and cosponsor of the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking and Prevention Act  which would help protect some of the most susceptible targets of human traffickers. She is continuing to push the Senate to pass the bill. July, Heitkamp successfully secured landmark anti-human trafficking protections for children in schools in the No Child Left Behind reform legislation.\r\nAddressing Human Trafficking as a Community Issue in North Dakota: Last fall, Heitkamp launched herStrong & Safe Communities Initiativeto address emerging challenges throughout North Dakota in the wake of the states energy boom, including human and sex trafficking. This summer, Heitkamp brought international anti-human trafficking leader Cindy McCain to Bismarck for a Strong & Safe Communities roundtable on the challenges and next steps in North Dakotas fight against human trafficking.\r\n \r\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://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=45ada26d-29ec-4657-8aeb-e88b6104870b"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9527667425572872, "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"}