| 1 | 1 | | 88R10138 BK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Stucky H.R. No. 114 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Human trafficking is an insidious crime that |
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| 7 | 7 | | exploits the most vulnerable members of society, robbing victims of |
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| 8 | 8 | | their freedom and dignity and weakening the very foundation of our |
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| 9 | 9 | | communities; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, As defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act |
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| 11 | 11 | | of 2000, human trafficking primarily occurs in the form of sex or |
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| 12 | 12 | | labor trafficking, which may be compelled through the use of force, |
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| 13 | 13 | | threats, deception, or other means of coercion; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Although anyone can fall victim to this crime, |
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| 15 | 15 | | certain populations are at higher risk due to a lack of prevention |
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| 16 | 16 | | and services, including boys and young men, people who have been |
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| 17 | 17 | | affected by sexual violence or prior abuse, people experiencing |
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| 18 | 18 | | poverty, homelessness, or unstable living conditions, and |
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| 19 | 19 | | individuals who are systemically marginalized and underserved; |
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| 20 | 20 | | victims can be trafficked in person and online, in industries such |
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| 21 | 21 | | as food service and construction, and by both strangers and people |
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| 22 | 22 | | they know, including intimate partners, parents, and other family |
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| 23 | 23 | | members; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, The keys to preventing human trafficking include |
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| 25 | 25 | | raising awareness and building resilience within our communities, |
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| 26 | 26 | | reducing social inequities, and addressing the social determinants |
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| 27 | 27 | | of health in underserved populations; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Human trafficking requires a coordinated, |
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| 29 | 29 | | community-wide response, and one of the organizations working to |
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| 30 | 30 | | serve human trafficking victims in North Texas is Bob's House of |
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| 31 | 31 | | Hope in Argyle, which was founded by Robert "Bob" Williams in 2021; |
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| 32 | 32 | | Bob's House of Hope is the first safe house in the country dedicated |
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| 33 | 33 | | to adult male survivors of sex trafficking, and it endeavors to |
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| 34 | 34 | | provide person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally and |
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| 35 | 35 | | linguistically appropriate care, along with other resources to help |
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| 36 | 36 | | these victims attain education and employment and rebuild their |
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| 37 | 37 | | lives; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Human trafficking is a violation of the fundamental |
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| 39 | 39 | | rights that are owed to every man, woman, and child, and the |
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| 40 | 40 | | observance of Human Trafficking Prevention Month calls on all of us |
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| 41 | 41 | | to affirm our commitment to preventing and responding to human |
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| 42 | 42 | | trafficking in our communities and to ensuring the safety, |
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| 43 | 43 | | security, and well-being of human trafficking survivors; now, |
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| 44 | 44 | | therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | Legislature hereby recognize January 2023 as Human Trafficking |
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| 47 | 47 | | Prevention Month and encourage all Texans to learn more about human |
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| 48 | 48 | | trafficking and the ways they can help the victims of this terrible |
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| 49 | 49 | | crime. |
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