The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act, sponsored by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), passed the House on Tuesday night. The bill would have established shelters in six regions of the country and provide treatment and services to victims and new resources to law enforcement to prosecute sex traffickers. Mary Ellison, Director of Public Policy at Polaris Project, clarified, “This passage is a sign that America is starting to realize that children in prostitution are victims of a horrific crime called human trafficking and are in need of services and support.” Unfortunately, an amendment was attached to the bill that killed it because it differed from the Senate bill and time ran out for the lame duck session. Meanwhile, there is a dramatic shortage of space and beds in shelters to help the approximately 100,000 underage girls who are victims of sex trafficking each year.
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