89R12652 AMB-D By: Hunter H.C.R. No. 61 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, Human trafficking is a serious and escalating problem in the United States, particularly in Texas; and WHEREAS, A multibillion-dollar business, human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing illegal enterprises, according to the Polaris Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that maintains the National Human Trafficking Hotline; thousands of foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each year, and it is estimated that the number of U.S. citizens trafficked within our own borders is even higher; and WHEREAS, Texas is a major point of illegal entry into the United States; its large geographic size along with its demographics make the Lone Star State appealing to traffickers, who endeavor to blend into the population while exploiting their victims in forced labor and prostitution; and WHEREAS, Although Texas has been recognized as a leader in the effort to end the scourge of human trafficking, eradication of this modern-day form of slavery is a difficult challenge, and every means of combating it should be explored; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby request the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the problem of human trafficking in Texas; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be governed by such general rules and policies for interim committees as the 89th Texas Legislature may adopt; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including findings and recommendations, to the 90th Texas Legislature before it convenes in January 2027.