Sens. Moran, Cortez Masto Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Access to Air Travel for Survivors of Human Trafficking

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) recently introduced the Jimmy Deal Trafficking Survivors Assistance Act to help survivors of human trafficking access air travel and resources they need to reach safety. The bipartisan legislation would establish a partnership between Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and anti-human trafficking service providers to help survivors escape traffickers and return home. The bill requires every TSA screening airport to designate a trained employee as a Trafficking Survivor Point of Contact.

"Victims of human trafficking often lack a government-issued ID needed for air travel, hindering their ability to find safety or reunite with family," said Sen. Moran. "This legislation aims to eliminate this barrier by creating a process that helps make certain every survivor has the means to access air travel when they desperately need it to escape danger and reach safety."

"We should be making it as easy as possible for human trafficking survivors to escape their captors and get the help they need," said Sen. Cortez Masto. "My friend Jimmy Deal saved lives by helping survivors without identification get approved for travel, and I'm proud to honor his legacy with this legislation."

Items to note:

• Human traffickers often control access to their victims' identification documents, and many survivors leave their documents behind when attempting to flee, making air travel difficult.
• According to Rescue America's national emergency hotline for trafficking survivors, more than 1,000 survivors who have called its hotline since October 2020 did not have identity documents.

Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV-03) plans to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation is supported by Awaken, American Association of Airport Executives, Airports Council International - North America, Polaris, Street Grace, Freedom Network USA, Rescue America, Nevada Policy Council on Human Trafficking, Hope for Family Resilience, Sex Trade Survivor Caucus, Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking and 3Strands Global Foundation.

Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

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