Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) touted last week the benefits of the House of Representatives’ recent advancement of a bill designed to combat human trafficking.
The senators said the advancement of the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act would aid financial institutions in identifying and reporting instances of human trafficking, so offenders can be prosecuted and victims protected.
“Human trafficking is one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time,” Rubio said. “This bill helps provide financial institutions and law enforcement with additional support in their ongoing efforts to help stop human trafficking and hold perpetrators accountable. I am pleased that the House passed it and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure this bill becomes law.”
Rubio and Warren originally introduced the companion legislation in the Senate on April 26, 2017.
The legislators said the bill would direct federal banking regulators to work with law enforcement and financial institutions to combat the use of the financial system for human trafficking while further increasing collaboration between law enforcement and experts in financial crimes by adding financial intelligence and regulatory officers as a means of strengthening anti-money laundering programs to better target human trafficking.
“We need to use every tool available to fight human trafficking,” Warren said. “I am glad the House passed our legislation to help financial institutions and regulators cut off traffickers’ access to the banking system and fight perpetrators profiting off the lives of human beings. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to pass this bill.”